A Biological Study of the Late Roman/Early Medieval (302-800 CE) Cemetery of Sant’Agata, Sicily

In 1988, archaeological excavations in Sant'Agata, Piana degli Albanesi, Sicily revealed a large Late Roman/ Early Medieval cemetery (301-800 CE). This necropolis has been deemed to be of great importance due to the size of the site and the lack of previous bioarchaeological studies focusing on this chronological period in Sicily. Furthermore, the dearth of written records from this period, means our understanding of Sicilian communities during this period is somewhat limited. Therefore, this research will address a key knowledge gap by revealing new evidence for demographics of a Late Roman/Early Medieval burial population, the health and disease status of those living during this chronological period, and their social identity. Osteological analysis of the skeletal remains was carried out at the Salinas Regional Archaeological Museum (Palermo, Sicily) in summer 2024. In this presentation contextual details of this previously unstudied site will be explored alongside the osteological methods used to analyse the skeletal remains and provisional findings. It is hoped that through bioarchaeological analyses, we are able to gain an insight into the lives and deaths of individuals that inhabited Sant’Agata in this largely understudied period of Sicilian history.