Abstract
The Migration period (4th-7th century AD) represents a time of major sociopolitical change, but relatively little is known about this time in Lithuania's history (Bliujien?, 2013; Jankauskas & Kozlovskaya, 1999). The focus of this dissertation is to understand the lived experiences of individuals interred in the Migration Period cemetery at Plinkaigalis, Lithuania, through integrated analyses of stable isotope, statistical and spatial methods to assess 253 human bone/tooth samples. Isotopic analysis included assessments of stable carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen stable isotope values. Statistical analysis included a MANOVA (Multivariate Analysis of Variance) test. Spatial methods included buffers, kernel density, spatial statistics (Moran's I, Mean Center and Standard Distance), Thiessen polygons, and interpolation techniques. The stable isotope analyses indicate a homogenous C3 diet (bone collagen carbon (21.61‰ to 19.75‰), bone collagen nitrogen (7.46‰ to 9.45‰), dentin collagen carbon (22.10‰ to -18.94‰), dentin collagen nitrogen (8.02‰ to 10.61‰), bone apatite carbon (14.70‰ to -9.69‰), bone apatite oxygen (-13.44‰ to 9.12‰), enamel apatite carbon (17.93‰ to -11.35‰), enamel apatite oxygen (-11.30‰ to -8.16‰) was present with small variations across age, sex and status groupings. The spatial analysis aided in investigating the cemeteries' geographical location. Burials were noted to vary in terms of location based on age and biological sex and clustering was noted in higher status burials. While spatial statistics suggest spatial autocorrelation of stable isotope values is significant in some distributions, statistically, there were no significant differences. The use of the cemetery over time was also modeled. Microscapes and a multi-method approach were also shown to be useful in terms of visualizing isoscapes in a multivariate format (further investigation required) and when assessing isotopically homogenous samples respectively. This research is of importance as it contributes dietary, cultural and movement related information about the Migration period and expands on the concepts of isoscapes (via introduction of microscapes) and social bioarchaeology.
Notes
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Graduation Date
2023
Semester
Spring
Advisor
Dupras, Tosha
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
College
College of Sciences
Department
Anthropology
Degree Program
Integrative Anthropological Sciences
Format
application/pdf
Identifier
CFE0009579; DP0027596
URL
https://purls.library.ucf.edu/go/DP0027596
Language
English
Release Date
May 2024
Length of Campus-only Access
1 year
Access Status
Doctoral Dissertation (Open Access)
STARS Citation
Orozco, Alexandria, "Lived Experience at Plinkaigalis, Lithuania: An integrated Approach using Stable Isotope, Spatial, and Statistical Analyses" (2023). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-. 1629.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd2020/1629