Biocultural Aspects of Physiological Stress During Classical Antiquity in Thebes, Central Mainland Greece

Abstract

During the first millennium B.C.E., mainland Greece experienced notable economic and demographic growth, though this trajectory shifted from 300 B.C.E. onward, when Macedonian dominance and the rise of larger political entities concentrated wealth in the hands of elites. Within this broader context, cycles of prosperity, destruction, and recovery in Thebes closely mirror wider historical, social, and economic transformations. This study investigates skeletal remains from the northeastern cemetery of the city to explore how sociopolitical shifts affected local health and living conditions by examining demography and physiological stress indicators, namely, cribra orbitalia, porotic hyperostosis, linear enamel hypoplasia, and periosteal new bone formation in 73 individuals dating to the Classical period and 151 individuals dating to Hellenistic times. The results of this study mostly contradict historical expectations and other bioarchaeological studies that support worse living conditions during later times. The results further suggest that both sexes experienced similar living conditions during Classical times, with higher female mortality in later periods, while urban living did not negatively affect stress levels compared to rural contexts. These patterns suggest that the inhabitants of ancient Thebes were more resilient to stressors presented by sociopolitical upheaval than was expected. Overall, the article demonstrates that sociopolitical change did not translate uniformly into deteriorating living conditions, emphasizing the complex and context-dependent interplay of health and social transformations in the ancient Greek world.