The shift to an agriculture-based subsistence economy is one of the most important chapters in the history of our species. It resulted in profound changes that laid the foundation for many of the aspects that characterise modern society today. Whilst the human bioarchaeology of this process has a long history of study in areas of central-northern Europe, “lesser spotted” regions of southern Europe have not received the same level of intensive research. This paper remedies this exploring the long-term biological trajectories of human societies across the transition to agricultural in the central Mediterranean c. 8000 years ago through an integrated bioarchaeological approach that considers data related to body size, population dynamics, habitual behaviour and diet. The results are interpreted within a broader evolutionary context and seek to promote the importance of multi-method approaches in bioarchaeology.
Dr Eóin Parkinson is a lecturer in prehistoric archaeology at Queen's University Belfast.
