Bioarchaeology of the Near East, 15:55-75 (2021)

Reassessing stature estimates for the Early Bronze Age Karataş-Semayük population

Anton M. Axelsson
School of History, Archaeology and Religion, Cardiff University
Colum Dr, SHARE PGR office, Cardiff CF10 3EG, UK
email: axelssonam@cardiff.ac.uk

Abstract: Throughout the excavations of Karataş-Semayük (1963–75), Anatolia, J. Lawrence Angel performed the osteological examination of the site’s Early Bronze Age (EBA) population. The sample consists of 584 individuals, two thirds being adults; 60 of these adults having fairly well-preserved skeletal remains. Angel utilized Trotter and Gleser’s stature regression formulas from the 1950s to estimate the stature of the population. This study aims to revaluate these results, through calculating stature formulas directly on the Karataş-Semayük population. This will be achieved through utilizing two stature estimation methods in combination: the anatomical method and the regression (mathematical) method. The anatomical method will be used to establish the body ratio values of the population, these values can be used as a basis for regression formulas. The resulting regression formulas can be used to calculate the stature of individuals who lack complete skeletons. Furthermore, these regression formulas will be tested on contemporary Mesopotamia populations, as to allow for comparisons between contemporary stature trends of different regions.

Key words: anatomical method; Fully technique; mathematical stature method; regression; Anatolia; Near East; Mesopotamia

Received 3 February 2020; accepted 12 November 2021; published online 31 December 2021.

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