Population Structure and Frankish Ethnogenesis (AD 400-900) by Charisse Carver A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy Approved November 2015 by the Graduate Supervisory Committee: Christopher Stojanowski, Co-Chair Rachel Scott, Co-Chair Jane Buikstra ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY December 2015 ABSTRACT The transition from Late Antiquity to Early Medieval Europe (ca. AD 400-900) is often characterized as a period of ethnogenesis for a number of peoples, such as the Franks. Arising during protracted contact with the Roman Empire, the Franks would eventually form an enduring kingdom in Western Europe. However, there is little consensus about the processes by which they formed an ethnic group. This study takes a fresh look at the question of Frankish ethnogenesis by employing a number of theoretical and methodological subdisciplines, including population genetics and ethnogenetic theory. The goals of this work were 1) to validate the continued use of biological data in questions of historical and archaeological significance; and 2) to elucidate how Frankish population structure changed over time. Toward this end, measurements from the human dentition and crania were subjected to rigorous analytical techniques and interpreted within a theoretical framework of ethnogenetic life cycles. Results validate existing interpretations of intra-regional biological continuity over time. However, they also reveal that 1) there are clear biological and geographical differences between communities, and 2) there are hints of diachronic shifts, whereby some communities became more similar to each other over time. These conclusions complement current ethnohistoric work arguing for the increasing struggle of the Frankish kingdom to unify itself when confronted by strong regionally-based politics. i This work is dedicated to my family, friends, colleagues, and mentors. "Joy shared is twice the joy. Sorrow shared is half the sorrow." ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Many thanks to my friends and mentors in SHESC, and to my colleagues at CRAHAM, most especially Armelle Alduc-le Bagousse and Pierre Bauduin. Similarly, I would like to thank the staff at the MNHN and Alain Froment for making my brief stays so memorable. Finally, I would not have been able to complete this project without the aid of Luc Buchet, Stephan Naji, and the U.S. Department of State Fulbright Program. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................... vii LIST OF FIGURES .........................................................................................................xvi CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................... 1 Debated Ethnogenesis ................................................................................ 6 Bioarchaeological Contribution ............................................................... 14 Organization ............................................................................................. 17 2 ETHNICITY AND ETHNOGENESIS ................................................................... 20 Theoretical Approaches to Ethncity ........................................................ 20 Theoretical Approaches to Ethnogenesis ................................................ 31 Summary .................................................................................................. 36 3 HISTORICAL AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND ............................ 38 Dating Conventions.................................................................................. 38 The Setting ............................................................................................... 39 The Early Frankish Kingdom .................................................................. 44 The Later Frankish Kingdom ................................................................... 55 Summary .................................................................................................. 59 4 BIOANTHROPOLOGICAL BACKGROUND ..................................................... 60 Physical Anthropology............................................................................. 61 Skeletal Morphology ................................................................................ 63 Anthropological Genetics.....................................................................69 iv CHAPTER Page Summary .................................................................................................. 72 5 POPULATION GENETICS AND BIODISTANCE .............................................. 73 Population Genetics ................................................................................. 73 Biodistance Analysis ................................................................................ 77 Social Identity and Biodistance ............................................................... 82 Summary .................................................................................................. 89 6 RESEARCH EXPECTATIONS .............................................................................. 90 Separation Phase ...................................................................................... 91 Liminal Phase ........................................................................................... 93 Reintegration Phase .................................................................................. 96 Population Structure................................................................................98 Summary ................................................................................................ 100 7 MATERIALS ......................................................................................................... 101 Primary Skeletal Collections ................................................................. 105 Comparative Skeletal Collections ......................................................... 146 Summary ................................................................................................ 148 8 METHODS AND ANALYSES ............................................................................. 149 Dental Development .............................................................................. 149 Data Collection Methods ....................................................................... 157 Analytical Methods ................................................................................ 165 Organiztion of Analyses and Results .................................................... 195 Summary.............................................................................................198 v CHAPTER Page 9 RESULTS: ODONTOMETRIC SYNCHRONIC ANALYSIS ........................... 199 Site-Level ............................................................................................... 201 Regional-Level ....................................................................................... 229 Summary ................................................................................................ 254 10 RESULTS: ODONTOMETRIC DIACHRONIC ANALYSIS .......................... 257 Regional-Level ....................................................................................... 259 Summary ................................................................................................ 289 11 RESULTS: CRANIOMETRIC SYNCHRONIC ANALYSIS ........................... 292 Regional-Level ....................................................................................... 295 Summary ................................................................................................ 317 12 RESULTS: CRANIOMETRIC DIACHRONIC ANALYSIS ............................ 320 Regional-Level 1 .................................................................................... 323 Regional-Level 2 .................................................................................... 357 Summary ................................................................................................ 388 13 DISCUSSION .................. ..................................................................................... 392 Results Overview ................................................................................... 393 Evaluation of Expectations .................................................................... 397 Frankish Ethnogenesis: A Contested Process ....................................... 415 REFERENCES................................................................................................................ 420 vi LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Odontometric Collections....................................................................................104 2. Key Characteristics of Sites in the Odontometrics Collections...........................145 3. Craniometric Collections.....................................................................................147 4. Odontometric Variables.......................................................................................168 5. Age Variables.......................................................................................................171 6. Craniometric Variables........................................................................................171 7. Chronology..........................................................................................................197