Sexual division of labor in a Celtic population from Northern Italy: patterns of entheseal changes and long bone shape and robusticity from Seminario Vescovile (Verona, 3rd-1st c BC)

Laffranchi, Zita; Charisi, Drosia; Jiménez-Brobeil, Sylvia A.; Milella, Marco (15 April 2020). Sexual division of labor in a Celtic population from Northern Italy: patterns of entheseal changes and long bone shape and robusticity from Seminario Vescovile (Verona, 3rd-1st c BC). In: 89TH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGISTS. Los Angeles (CA).

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The presence of a sexual division of labor has
been the focus of bioarchaeological research in a
broad range of prehistoric contexts. Nonetheless,
few data are available about the presence and
type of gendered activities among Celtic populations.
This gap hampers the analysis of the social
nuances characterizing these populations and
a broader understanding of the socioeconomic
patterns featuring Iron Age communities of
Western Europe. Here, we address these issues
by testing the presence of gendered activities
in a Celtic population (Cenomani Gauls) from
Seminario Vescovile (Verona, NE Italy, 3rd-1st c.
BC).
Entheseal changes at 9 postcranial attachment
sites, as well as humeral and femoral shape and
robusticity indices calculated from external long
bone measurements are compared between
sexes in a sample of 56 adult individuals (N
females=22; N males =34). The effect of sex, age,
and side on the considered variables are tested by
means of generalized linear models, generalized
estimating equations, and Mann-Whitney tests.
Analyses show a lack of difference between sexes
in long bone shape, a higher incidence of upper
and, especially, lower limb entheseal changes
in males, and higher long bone robusticity in
females.
These results suggest the presence at SV of
sex-specifc activities mostly related to farming
and differently infuencing the considered variables.
At the same time, this study underlines the need to consider non-functional factors (e.g. nutritional
and developmental) when trying to infer
patterns of physical activity from osteological
variables.

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