Resurrecting Pompeii (41 page)

OSSICLE AT LAMBDA

The ossicle at lambda was present in 20.2 per cent of the 116 Pompeian skulls that were scored for this trait. More than half of the cases, about 11.4 per cent, involved single or multiple large ossicles. Two of these cases were classified as interparietal bones. Capasso did not report any cases of ossicle at lambda in his sample.
⁴⁷
The observed frequency of this trait in the Pompeian crania is within the upper end of the range of the Italian and African populations that have been recorded and lower than some of the second millennium Sicilian populations (Table 9.6). Most notable is the absence of the trait in the Herculaneum sample.

LAMBDOID OSSICLES

Lambdoid ossicles were observed more frequently on the right than the left side in the 112 observations that could be made for each side of the Pompeian cranial sample. They were scored as present to some degree in 34.8 per cent of cases for the left and 39.3 per cent for the right.
⁴⁸
Capasso recorded 22 cases or 13.8 per cent cranial incidence in the Herculaneum sample, though he did not score them in any further detail than presence or absence. He reported an even division between the sexes. Nicolucci only observed eight cases of lambdoid ossicles in his sample, involving four males and four females.
⁴⁹

It is important to distinguish between cranial and side index for this bilaterally expressed trait. Tables 9.7 and 9.8 show the side and cranial frequencies that have been recorded for this trait for different populations. To calculate side incidence for bilateral traits, some scholars
⁵⁰
pool the number of observations for both sides, which means that these can represent a figure greater than the number of crania that were examined. This is important to bear in mind when examining Table 9.7 as the column labelled
sample size
,

Table 9.6
Presence of ossicle at lambda in various populations
Population Sample size Frequency (%)

Pompeii
AD
79 116 20.2 Herculaneum
AD
79 159 0 Pontecagnano (Campania) (7
^th
– 6
^th
century
BC
)42 19 Sala Consilina (Campania) (9
^th
– 6
^th
century
BC
)16 25 Termoli (Molise) (7
^th
century
BC
)5010 Ardea (Latium) (8
^th
– 6
^th
century
BC
) 17 5.9 Romans (Latium) (6
^th
–5
^th
century
BC
) 153 22.2 Alfedena (Abruzzo) (6
^th
century
BC
) 83 19.2 Campovalano (Abruzzo) (7
^th
– 6
^th
century
BC
) 40 22.5 Perdasdefogu (Sardinia) (9
^th
century
BC
) 17 11.8 Etruscans 1 (Central Etruria) (6
^th
–5
^th
century
BC
) 35 22.8 Etruscans 2 (Southern Etruria) (6
^th
–5
^th
century
BC
) 55 18.1 San Vincenzo al Volturno 153 18.6 Cefalu (17
^th
century BC) 12 25 Plemmyrion (16
^th
–14
^th
century
BC
)5034 Castiglione (17
^th
century
BC
) 42 33.3 Castiglione (8
^th
– 6
^th
century
BC
)4030 Thapsos (16
^th
–14
^th
century
BC
)502 Lentini (5
^th
– 4
^th
century
BC
)70 Siracusa (8
^th
century
BC
) 29 13.8 Siracusa (3
^rd
century
BC
) 131 13 Piscitello (5
^th
– 4
^th
century
BC
) 29 3.4 Carlentini (5
^th
– 4
^th
century
BC
)220 Modern Roman sample 255 25.1 Undated Sardinian population 238 14.3 African sample (Mali) (1
^st
millennium
BC
) 154 20 Nubian (historic) 67 10.4

Sources: Adapted from Capasso, 2001, 982–83; Hauser and De Stefano, 1989, 178–79; Higgins, 1989–1990; Lazer, 1995, 294; Rubini
et al
., 1999, 10; Rubini
et al
., 2007, 124.

 

as for all the other non-metric data presented in this chapter, refers to the total number of observations upon which scoring was based.

Lambdoid ossicles, like other sutural bones, have been found to be correlated with the presence of other wormian bones. The only statistically significant correlation for the Pompeian sample was between the left lambdoid ossicle and the ossicle at lambda.

Comparison between the different samples is complicated by the way that the material is presented with some scholars only calculating cranial frequency and others just side incidence. The majority of Italian and other populations presented in Table 9.7 have a higher side incidence of lambdoid ossicles than the Pompeian sample, with only three other populations displaying a similar frequency, and two a lower incidence. The cranial incidence for this trait in the Pompeian sample is lower than that for other Italian populations documented in Table 9.8, though it is substantially higher than that recorded for the Herculaneum sample. It is difficult to account for the huge discrepancy with the very low incidence recorded by Nicolucci.

Table 9.7
Side incidence of lambdoid ossicles in various populations
Population

Pompeii
AD
79 (Lazer 1995)
Pontecagnano (Campania) (7
^th
– 6
^th
century
BC
) Sala Consilina (Campania) (9
^th
– 6
^th
century
BC
) Termoli (Molise) (7
^th
century
BC
)
Ardea (Latium) (8
^th
– 6
^th
century
BC
)
Romans (Latium) (6
^th
–5
^th
century
BC
)
Alfedena (Abruzzo) (6
^th
century
BC
)
Campovalano (Abruzzo) (7
^th
– 6
^th
century
BC
) Perdasdefogu (Sardinia) (9
^th
century
BC
)
Etruscans 1 (Central Etruria) (6
^th
–5
^th
century
BC
) Etruscans 2 (Southern Etruria) (6
^th
–5
^th
century
BC
) San Vincenzo al Volturno
Modern Roman sample
Undated Sardinian population
African sample (Mali) (1
^st
millennium
BC
) Nubian (historic)

Number of Frequency (%) observations

224 37.1
78 56.4
29 72.3
100 24
34 35.3
306 49.3
169 32
72 37.5
32 56.2
70 51.4
110 52.7
153 55.8
516 58.3
220 67.3
296 46.3
134 25.4

Sources: Adapted from Hauser and De Stefano, 1989, 178–79; Higgins, 1991; Lazer, 1995, 294; Rubini
et al
., 1999, 10; Rubini,
et al
., 2007, 124.

 

CORONAL OSSICLES

Of the 111 left and 117 right side observations for coronal ossicles, there was only one medium ossicle observed on the left side of a skull. This means that there is a cranial incidence of 0.9 per cent and a side incidence of 0.4 per cent. Nicolucci also recorded one case of a coronal ossicle in the sample that he studied, which translates into a cranial index of 1 per cent. Similarly, Capasso recorded one case in his sample, which is a cranial index of 0.63 per cent.
⁵¹

ThePompeiansideincidenceofcoronalossicles is considerably lower than that recorded for the majority of the populations shown in Table 9.9. Similarly, the cranial incidence (Table 9.10) is much lower than that of the other recorded Italian populations, with the exception of the Herculaneum sample. The cranial incidence for this trait in the Pompeian sample is consistent with that obtained by Nicolucci and only minimally higher than that of the Herculaneum sample.

OSSICLE AT BREGMA

Only one strongly expressed ossicle at bregma was observed in the entire sample of 116 skulls, which meant that there was a cranial index of just under 0.9 per cent. Capasso did not record any cases of this trait. Inspection of Table 9.11 demonstrates that the frequency of this trait in the Pompeian sample is within the range observed for other Italian samples, though it should be noted that the sample sizes for a number of these populations are rather small.

SAGITTAL OSSICLES

Sagittal ossicles were observed in the Pompeian sample with a frequency of 7.8 per cent in the sample of 116 skulls that could be scored. Of these, 6.9 per cent were of medium expression or greater. Nicolucci only recorded one instance of this case in his sample of 100 skulls. Capasso recorded two cases of this trait, which means that there was a cranial incidence of 1.3 per cent. There was minimal appropriate comparative material for this trait (Table 9.12).
⁵²

Given the paucity of comparative material, interpretation of the incidence of sagittal ossicles is difficult, though it is notable that the Pompeian frequency is significantly lower than that recorded for the Sardinian sample but does seem to be at the upper end of the range of frequencies for a disparate

Table 9.8
Cranial incidence of lambdoid ossicles in various populations
Population Sample size Frequency (%)

Pompeii
AD
79 (Lazer 1995) 112 50 Pompeii
AD
79 (Nicolucci 1882) 100 8 Herculaneum
AD
79 159 13.8 San Vincenzo al Volturno 153 55.8 Undated Sardinian population 220 67.3

Sources: Adapted from Hauser and De Stefano, 1989, 178–79; Higgins, 1989–1991; Lazer, 1995, 294; Nicolucci, 1882, 11; Rubini
et al
., 1999, 10; Rubini
et al
., 2007, 124.

Table 9.9
Side incidence of coronal ossicles in various populations
Population

Pompeii
AD
79
Pontecagnano (Campania) (7
^th
– 6
^th
century
BC
) Sala Consilina (Campania) (9
^th
– 6
^th
century
BC
) Termoli (Molise) (7
^th
century
BC
)911 Ardea (Latium) (8
^th
– 6
^th
century
BC
) 34 11.8 Romans (Latium) (6
^th
–5
^th
century
BC
) 306 12 Alfedena (Abruzzo) (6
^th
century
BC
) 135 3 Campovalano (Abruzzo) (7
^th
– 6
^th
century
BC
)50 10 Perdasdefogu (Sardinia) (9
^th
century
BC
)340 Etruscans 1 (Central Etruria) (6
^th
–5
^th
century
BC
) 70 18.5 Etruscans 2 (Southern Etruria) (6
^th
–5
^th
century
BC
) 110 9 African sample (Mali) (1
^st
millennium
_BC
) 287 1.5 Nubian (historic) 134 13.5

Sample size Frequency (%)

228 0.4
64 3.1
21 4.8

Sources: Adapted from Hauser and De Stefano, 1989, 178–79; Higgins, 1989–1990; Rubini
et al
., 1999, 10; Lazer, 1995, 294; Rubini
et al
., 2007, 124.

Table 9.10
Cranial incidence of coronal ossicles in various populations
Population

Pompeii
_AD
79 (Lazer 1995) Pompeii
AD
79 (Nicolucci 1882) Herculaneum
AD
79
San Vincenzo al Volturno
Modern Roman sample
Undated Sardinian population

Sample size Frequency (%)

117 0.9
100 1
159 0.63
153 26.8
300 41.7
260 3.5

Sources: Adapted from Capasso, 2001, 982; Hauser and De Stefano, 1989, 178 –79; Higgins,
1989–1990; Lazer, 1995, 294; Nicolucci, 1882, 11; Rubini
et al
., 1999, 10; Rubini
et al
.,
2007, 124.

collection of European populations. Again, it is dif ficult to account for the much lower incidence of this trait in Nicolucci’s sample. It is possible that he did not take too much interest in these traits, except when they were strongly expressed, as they were only mentioned as a side issue in his article. Perhaps the most significant finding is the much higher frequency for the Pompeian sample than for that from Herculaneum.

OSSICLE AT THE ASTERION

Ossicles at the asterion were slightly more frequent on the right side than the left in the 101 observations that were possible for each side. There was an 8.9 per cent presence on the left side and a presence of 10.9 per cent on the right. Only one case involved a large ossicle, the rest were classified as small or medium. Capasso recorded just one case of ossicle at the asterion,

Table 9.11
Frequency of ossicle at bregma in various populations
Population Number of Frequency (%) observations

Pompeii
_AD
79 (Lazer 1995) Herculaneum
_AD
79
116 0.9 159 0

Pontecagnano (Campania) (7
^th
–6
^th
century
_BC
)37 0
Sala Consilina (Campania) (9
^th
–6
^th
century
_BC
)18 0
Termoli (Molise) (7
^th
century
_BC
)482
Ardea (Latium) (8
^th
–6
^th
century
_BC
)17 0
Romans (Latium) (6
^th
–5
^th
century
_BC
) 153 2.6 Alfedena (Abruzzo) (6
^th
century
_BC
) 73 1.4 Campovalano (Abruzzo) (7
^th
–6
^th
century
_BC
) 51 3.9 Perdasdefogu (Sardinia) (9
^th
century
_BC
)17 0
Etruscans 1 (Central Etruria) (6
^th
–5
^th
century
BC
)35 0
Etruscans 2 (Southern Etruria) (6
^th
–5
^th
century
BC
) 55 1.8 San Vincenzo al Volturno 153 0
Modern Roman sample 296 1
Undated Sardinian population 243 2.5 African sample (Mali) (1
^st
millennium
_BC
) 153 0
Nubian (historic) 67 0