In Service to the Sultan: Biological affinity analysis of Vlach Ottoman vassals from the Šarić Struga and Koprivno‐Križ sites in southern Croatia

AbstractAs a cultural isolate and historically labelled ethnicity, the extent of biological divergence between Vlachs and non-Vlachs in Southeast Europe is not well understood. Here we present a comparison of metric and non-metric cranial morphology designed to investigate the degree to which a Vlach sample (n=32) from the Ottoman period in southern Croatia is biologically differentiated from non-Vlach communities. By calculating Relethford-Blangero distances using cranial measurements and conducting a Mean Measure of Divergence (MMD) test based on cranial non-metric traits, we investigated morphological relationships between the Vlach sample and other regional samples. Results from both metric and non-metric analyses indicate a close biological relationship with the non-Vlach community who lived nearby. Lacking substantial differences from the local non-Vlach community, the Vlach ethnicity may have been distinct based on socioeconomic rather than biological factors. This research points to an ethnogenesis more cultural than biological for this historical context.
Source: International Journal of Osteoarchaeology - Category: Science Authors: Tags: RESEARCH ARTICLE Source Type: research