S21-3

A Comparative Study on the Long Bone Morphology Among Taiwanese Iron Age Populations From Bilun Hanben (BHB), Shiqiao (SQ), and Shisanhang (SSH)

Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore

Human osteometric studies have proven to be difficult considering that complete skeletal remains are usually quite rare within Southeast Asian and Pacific contexts. Skeletal materials are often incomplete and poorly preserved due to sedimentary conditions and/or the customary practice of exhumation and reburial. These factors made the discovery in 2012 of numerous well-preserved inhumations at the Iron Age site of Blihun Hanben in south Yilan County, Taiwan, all the more significant. This presentation focuses on a comparative osteometric study of femoral and tibial shafts recovered from individuals at Hanben with those reported from the sites of Shiqiao and Shisanhang. It examines differences between populations and genders, and illustrates the importance of using long bone morphology and biometrics of ancient populations in combination with ethnographic and historical studies. This research provides new insights into sexual division of labour, habitual activities, terrestrial mobility patterns, and subsistence strategy of past populations.