Skeletal indicators of subsistence patterns and activity régime in the Mesolithic sample from Grotta dell’Uzzo (Trapani,Sicily): a case study

The skeletal sample from Grotta dell’Uzzo, Sicily (2 adult females and 5 adult males) was compared to a number of more representative population samples from Western Europe and the Mediterranean Basin. The majority of these were from Italian pre- and protohistoric sites. The research protocol analyzed skeletal indicators of labour activity and sexual division of labour (body size and proportions, sexual dimorphism, limb lateralization, bone robustness, the development of muscular attachments, accessory articular facets, signs of muscular hyperfunction). Sexual dimorphism and limb lateralization showed some regular patterns of possible general significance in all the samples examined here. A general pattern of gracilization and de-specialization of physical activity is observed in the Mesolithic as compared to the Upper Palaeolithic samples. The main features of the Mesolithic samples are: a reduction of body size and bone robustness, a lower degree of sexual dimorphism and limb bone asymmetry, a reduction of the mechanical stress on the lower limbs indicated by less pronounced muscular attachments and reduced talar flattening. This trend is reversed towards the Neolithic period. The main features of these variations are discussed in relation to economic and environmental changes. The Uzzo sample fits well into the general picture of the Western European Mesolithic, although showing some intermediate features between the Mesolithic and the Neolithic samples. This paper is dedicated to the memory of the late Roland Menk, who made significant contribution to our understanding of the Mesolithic transition.     

Reconciliation and Consolation in Captive Western Gorillas

We studied post-aggression mechanisms in a captive group of western gorillas (Apenheul Primate Park, The Netherlands) and compared them with those of wild mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei). We found the same trend for reconciliation that wild mountain gorillas show: reconciliation occurred only between adult male-female dyads, while it was absent in the other sex-age class combination. There were both solicited and nonsolicited contacts; the latter finding is in contrast with the result obtained in wild mountain gorillas, in which consolation was absent. Immature females were more likely to offer consolation toward both related and unrelated individuals. Consolation did not reduce the likelihood of further attacks among group members. It may be that, as the α-male plays a fundamental role in preventing the spread of conflicts throughout the entire group, triadic contacts become ineffective for the function. The levels of consolation were higher in absence of reconciliation than in its presence, suggesting that consolation may function as an alternative mechanism in stress reduction of the victim.     

The skeletal biology of two Italian peninsular Magna Graecia necropoles, Timmari and Montescaglioso

The aim of this work is to outline a general picture of life style and conditions of a population living in Magna Graecia between the 7th and the 4th c. BC by the study of human skeletal remains found in two necropoles from the Matera province, Timmari and Montescaglioso, neighbouring Metaponto, one of the main Ionian Greek colonies. The biological reconstruction was attempted by a holistic approach which foresees the use of anthropometric, anthroposcopic, palaeodemographic, palaeopathological data, the study of skeletal and dentoalveolar indicators of environmental stress and the integration with archaeological and historical information. Interpretation of the results was also based on comparisons with coeval sites from Central-Southern Italy, from Greece and with earlier and later sites from the same region. The two samples from Matera did not show appreciable differences with the other Southern Italian coeval series when compared on the basis of metric and morphometric traits. The comparison with Greek samples was hampered by the scarcity of pertinent data. A high level of muscular activity was observed in males and females, with males clearly more mobile than females. Sexual dimorphism and limb bone lateralisation were marked. Health conditions and nutritional status were good.