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Abstract
In this dissertation, I explored mobility and military construction in the Mediterranean using multiple isotope analysis of human remains buried in mass graves associated with the Battles of Himera in Sicily, Italy during the 5th century BCE. Isotopic analysis was performed on teeth and bone samples of Greek soldiers who died in the two battles, one in 480 BCE and the latter in 409 BCE at the Greek colony site of Himera between armies of Greeks and Carthaginians. This study explores where the soldiers were from through oxygen, strontium, and lead isotopic analysis on their teeth, and the soldiers’ diet through carbon and nitrogen isotopes on their bones. Place of origin and diet were used as proxy indicators of identity, recognizing that where someone is from and their cultural dietary practices reveal aspects of an individual’s life.
The data was interpreted through a theoretical framework that considers how social, political, and cultural factors are embodied in our skeletons and how political structures shape human bodies and lives. The study of mortuary assemblages from ancient battles allows for a more direct view into how warfare contributed to the connectedness and mobility of the Mediterranean by looking at the composition of armies.
The isotopic analysis revealed a diverse group of soldiers in the first Battle of Himera, supporting ancient historical texts and illuminating the collective action of mercenary soldiers fighting alongside citizens of the town they were defending. Alternatively, the later battle had a much more homogenous fighting force, with soldiers having similar isotopic values to the local citizens, indicating a homegrown army. This study supports the use of ancient historical texts to interpret the past, suggests different political structures had an important impact of the construction of ancient military forces, and indicates that mobility and connectedness in the Mediterranean was not uniform; there were fluctuations in who was traveling, how far, and for how long. This study suggests that mercenary soldiers played a profound role in the movement of people across the Mediterranean, likely forming a series of smaller migrations amongst the larger, more permanent movements of colonization.
The data was interpreted through a theoretical framework that considers how social, political, and cultural factors are embodied in our skeletons and how political structures shape human bodies and lives. The study of mortuary assemblages from ancient battles allows for a more direct view into how warfare contributed to the connectedness and mobility of the Mediterranean by looking at the composition of armies.
The isotopic analysis revealed a diverse group of soldiers in the first Battle of Himera, supporting ancient historical texts and illuminating the collective action of mercenary soldiers fighting alongside citizens of the town they were defending. Alternatively, the later battle had a much more homogenous fighting force, with soldiers having similar isotopic values to the local citizens, indicating a homegrown army. This study supports the use of ancient historical texts to interpret the past, suggests different political structures had an important impact of the construction of ancient military forces, and indicates that mobility and connectedness in the Mediterranean was not uniform; there were fluctuations in who was traveling, how far, and for how long. This study suggests that mercenary soldiers played a profound role in the movement of people across the Mediterranean, likely forming a series of smaller migrations amongst the larger, more permanent movements of colonization.