Details
The 8th to 10th century populations of the north-west of France can be better understood through the analysis of human remains. If biological anthropology is to be used for this purpose (to determine sex, age, health and activity level), it needs a rigorous methodology and clearly defined standards. The development of new methods of analysis specific to the research data is proposed in this volume. The archaeological sites of the corpus correspond to a variety of environmental, topographical and cultural contexts. Analysis of the selection (or acceptance) of individuals for burial at these sites and the study of their state of health and level of activity makes it possible to characterise the populations, and to suggest hypotheses about their origins. These methods, in comparison with studies of archaeological and written sources, can thus grant us a clear picture of Carolingian populations. The data allow us to compare various burial situations and thus to illustrate the large variety, but also the partially hierarchical organisation, of Carolingian population groups.
