Détermination du sexe par la méthode itérative et le dimorphisme sexuel du squelette post-cranien d'une population du Chalcolithique récent et du Bronze ancien de la Bohème

摘要

Iterative method of sex determination and sex dimorphism of post-cranial skeletal remains from late eneolithic and bronze age population from bohemia Summary. — Currently, the study of sexual dimorphism of ancient populations depends primarily on the right determination of the sex of the skeletons from specific archaeological cultures. These archaeological cultures cluster the skeletal remains into chronologically and geographically determined groups, or archaeologically defined populations. To approach the study of sexual dimorphism in some ancient "archaeological" populations, we applied the iterative method of primary and secondary sex diagnosis as an alternative to the direct sex determinations method which usually focuses also on the analysis of cranial traits. The first step was to determinate the sex of the skeletons which had innominates, using metrical and morphological pelvic traits. The pelvis has been shown to exhibit a maximal degree of sexual dimorphism among the all of the bones of the human skeleton. It has been suggested also that the sexual dimorphism of this bone is diachronically stable. This is the reason we chose this part of the skeleton a primary indicator of sex. Subsequently, based on other measurements of the skeletons for which sex has been determined by our primary pelvic diagnosis, we computed the relevant discriminant functions to be used in the secondary diagnosis of those skeletons without a pelvis. We have determined the sex using several discrimination functions only in these cases with the average posterior probability of association of particular skeleton with one or other sexual category is higher than 90% (clearly defined cases). The sex estimation was carried out also in those cases with the average posterior probability between 80 and 90% (the skeletons determined with a question mark). The sex determined by this iterative method was then compared with the direct determination of sex considering also with the pelvis the cranial traits. This revealed that differences were found only in those skeletons previously evaluated as males, now determined to be females by our iterative method. These differences between the results of the methods were noted mainly for the skeletons from the Unetice culture, which chronologically appear in the latest period of our sample. This raises the question if this difference can be explained by a morphological change of craniofacial features or "degracilisation" previously observed to be associated with the end of the third millennium ВС in Europe. The direct method of sexing skeletons considering cranial robusticity would lead to a relatively higher degree of errors. We have also studied the relationships between anthropological sex determination and archaeological characteristics of the Late Eneolithic burials (2900-2300 ВС) that belong to the two great cultural complexes in Europe: Corded Ware Culture and Bell Beakers Culture. We have distinguished two basic cultural elements based on the archaeological evidence: orientation of the grave and the original position of the skeleton. Both of these elements correlate highly with our iterative method of the sex determination. The skeletons for which assigned sex differs depending on the method employed, or whose orientation and position in the grave would also suggest a different sex determination, should be sexed by molecular methods. In the Corded Ware and Bell Beakers funerary practices, specifically in cemeteries containing single burials, great attention was paid to the symbolic expression of identity, as it is expressed by categories of uniform funerary practices for age and sex groups. Evident is the expression of an individual's association with a particular social category (such as gender), rather than special skills or status achieved within that persons life. Funerary practices in the Corded Ware Culture, as well as the Bell Beaker Culture, can be assumed to be a reflection of the social division of labour within the community and can also reflect the contrasting social roles of men and women in the prehistoric periods under study. The individuality expressed within the context of a single burial can also reflect the association of the deceased with a particular