Dissertation Research: "A Biocultural Study of Centralized Economic Control in the Roman Period of Egypt"

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Roman rule in Ancient Egypt has been characterized as a period of great cultural and economic revival. Historic documents reveal a strong centralized government that prospered, as measured in exports, revenues collected and territorial expansion. However, Roman rule in Egypt also has been described as unjust, adversely affecting the lives of the populace through anarchy and religious persecution. Indeed, analyses of Roman census data indicate that Egyptian females were subject to high mortality, with life expectancy at birth of only 22.5 years. Similarly, life expectancy for Egyptian males was 25 years. The specific objective of this research project is to understand the relationships between quality of life and centralized authority during the Roman period of Egypt. This objective will be realized by examining relationships between economic status as revealed by archaeological and historic records, and quality of life, as scored by skeletal indicators of poor dietary intake, high disease loads, and trauma. Excavation of two tombs from Baharia Oasis, Egypt will be conducted. Skeletal analysis of excavated remains will be performed in Cairo using standard methods. The methodology designed for this research project examines the relationship between how well an individual grows in conjunction with other stress indicators within a historical context. This makes it possible to determine if mortality increased and life expectancy decreased under Roman rule, as suggested by the demographic data compiled from Roman census records. In addition, we can test the accuracy of utilizing skeletal data to inform about quality of life of past populations while improving our understanding of the Egyptian population under centralized Roman Egypt.