A Comprehensive Osteological Study of the Burials of Medieval Kursk Posad (11th–13th Centuries)

DOI: 10.33876/2311-0546/2025-2/404-419

Abstract

The paper presents an osteological study of the Posad necropolis of the ancient Russian city of Kursk of the 11^th — 13^th centuries. A total of 31 human skeletons were found, 20 of which belonged to adult individuals. The males and females of the group are characterized by an average and above average value of the intermembrane index, with slightly elongated upper limbs more common. Most males and females have an average or near average ratio of arm and leg segment lengths. The females are characterized by narrow shoulders and average pelvic width. The lifetime body length of men ranged from 155.9 cm to 174.7 cm, that is, men’s height ranged from small to large. The lifetime height of females ranged from 151.4 cm to 164.9 cm, that is, the height of women varied from below average to large. The bones of the arms and legs in the male sample are characterized by an average and high degree of massiveness. In in the female sample, the clavicles and ulna bones are different in terms of massiveness — the humeri are either medium massive or gracile, while the radii are medium massive, highly massive or ultramassive. The leg bones are of medium to high massiveness. Both male and female samples are characterized by strong sagittal flattening and notable development of the interosseous edge of the radii, weak sagittal flattening of the ulnae, and strong transverse flattening of the tibiae. In most males and females, the ulnae in the upper part of the diaphysis are moderately wide or eurolenic. In most males, the diaphysis of the femoral bones is narrow in the middle, some have a poorly or moderately developed bone pilaster. The femoral bones of females are characterized by both an expanded and narrowed diaphysis in the middle part of the shaft. The posterior bone pilaster is poorly developed in all females. More than 50% of men have a flattened and strongly flattened diaphysis of the femoral bones in the upper part. In most females, the diaphysis of the femoral bones is very flattened and hyperplatimeric. Both males and females are characterized by mesoknemic, or moderately dilated in the upper part, tibia.