Title Topographical approach to kinship assessment within population according to discrete cranial traits: the 5th–6th cc. Plinkaigalis cemetery /
Translation of Title Topografinis giminystės tyrimas populiacijoje pagal diskrečius kaukolės požymius: V–VI amžių plinkaigalio kapinynas.
Authors Česnys, Gintautas ; Tutkuvienė, Janina
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Is Part of Acta medica Lituanica. 2007, vol. 14, no. 1. ISSN 1392-0138
Keywords [eng] discrete cranial traits ; intra-population variability ; kinship assessment ; palaeopopulation genetics
Abstract [eng] Background. Discrete cranial traits are used in anthropology for estimating the genetic divergence of palaeopopulations and for assessing the kinship of individuals within a population. The goal of the present research was to test the effectiveness of the topographical method in kinship assessment. Materials and methods. The 5th–6th cc. burial ground in Plinkaigalis (Central Lithuania) was investigated. The spatial distribution of 45 discrete cranial traits in 360 individuals was examined, their local increasing in density (clusters) was estimated, and the concordance of their clustering areas was checked up by superposing the grave localization maps. The dispersion of some archaeological finds was analysed in the same way. Results. Nine discrete characters demonstrated a significant clustering on the situation plan of the cemetery; in seven places their density focuses coincided and in two they were rather doubtful. The trait concentration areas differ from those of interments. The characters are of different nature: sutural bones, varieties of openings, even cribra orbitalia, a pathological manifestation. In respect of the occurrence in the Plinkaigalis population, some traits were comparative rare, and some of them were frequent. No relations to inter-group variability and trait taxonomic value in inter-population comparisons were detected. Several kinds of adornments and tools used in the research demonstrated a clustering independent of those of discrete cranial traits, nevertheless, in some rare cases, they can help kinship determination in palaeopopulations. Conclusions. Using the topographical method, groups of genetically related individuals were detected. The discriminative value of significant clustering traits is connected neither with their occurrence in the population nor with inter-population variability. Archaeological artifacts may help in specific cases of kinship assessment.
Type Journal article
Language English
Publication date 2007