State of Health, Medicine and Diet on the Opposite Sides of the Gulf of Corinth (Greece) in the Bronze Age
Abstract
This paper presents an overview and the subsequent comparison of population health status, medicine (and medical knowledge) and diet in the Bronze Age in the regions to the north and south of the Gulf of Corinth, Greece. The main sources for this study are the published reports on the preserved human skeletal remains, which can tell us a lot about the actual individuals and their life histories.
Unfortunately, from the regions to the north of the Gulf of Corinth, only 3 human skeletal assemblages were processed anthropologically and published. These include 59 individuals from 3 sites in total - 20 subadults and 32 adults (7 males and 9 females).
From the southern - Peloponnesian - side of the Gulf of Corinth, the preserved human skeletal material has been processed and published from 9 sites altogether. The stable isotopic analyses of nitrate and carbon for the discerning of the prevailing diet of the population were performed for 6 sites.
The skeletal assemblage from these southern regions includes in total 1246 individuals (94 subadults and 629 adults (of which there are 307 males and 203 females)). Of special importance is the existence of 4 cases of trepanations - in Agia Triada, Achaia Klauss, Kirrha and Laganidia Kallithea - on both sides of the Gulf.
All were successful, with clear signs of healing along the edge of the trepanation opening. The occurrence of this complicated and sophisticated surgical intervention gives evidence of the presence or availability of a sufficiently skilled physician and of personnel willing to look after the patient.