Masculinity In Rome

During the Imperial Era, the Roman Empire had reached the pinnacle of its expansion. Rome was a vibrant tapestry of different cultures, ethnicities, and languages. It is estimated that up to 40% of the threads within the tapestry were slaves acquired during wars or from slave markets. Another 5%, enamored with the potential opportunities and prosperity that they perceived awaited them in Rome, migrated to the city and wove themselves into society (Jackson). Though the lives of the wealthy and literate are relatively well documented, there is far less information on the slave and migrant populations. A new study, conducted by Dr. Kristina Killgrove from the University of West Florida and Dr. Janet Montgomery from Durham University in the United …show more content…
were removed and examined. The age at death of each individual was determined by the pubic symphysis, the auricular surface, cranial suture closure, dental development, and epiphyseal closure (Killgrove and Montgomery). The ages ranged from infant (0-12 months) to old adults (50+), but middle age adults (35-50) were the largest segment of the population. Sexing was performed on the skeletons of those sixteen years or older through analysis of pelvis morphology and cranial features. In this group, males greatly outnumbered females. Strontium isotope analysis of the enamel of the first molar was conducted on samples from 105 individuals. Carbon and oxygen isotope analysis of the first molar enamel was also done on a diversified sample of 55 from the original 105. Carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of the bones was acquired in a previous study (Killgrove and …show more content…
The strontium and oxygen isotope ratios obtained from the sample teeth, when compared with Rome’s levels of the same time period, showed a significant deviation in the teeth of four individuals. Since strontium isotopes, mainly acquired through diet, and oxygen isotopes, obtained primarily from sources of drinking water, are captured within the enamel of the teeth during the first four years of development, the levels of these isotopes vary with the geology and environment found in different regions and can provide an estimation of a person’s origin. For example, oxygen isotope levels are higher near the coast than they are inland and strontium isotope ratios are higher in areas that are geologically older than others. The four immigrants discovered in the study may have traveled to Rome from the Alps, the Apennine Mountains, and North Africa (Killgrove and Montgomery). The carbon isotope ratios of the four samples also suggest that the immigrants did indeed adopt and adapt to the diet of their new home