A Biodistance Study of Mobility, Biological Kinship, and Lifestyle in Central Mainland Greece During Classical and Hellenistic Times

ABSTRACT During Classical and Hellenistic times, mainland Greece witnessed profound historical and sociopolitical changes, including warfare, urbanization, and extensive exchange networks that shaped the broader Graeco‐Roman world. Boeotia played an active role in these developments, with Thebes emerging as a major regional power until its destruction by Alexander the Great in 335 bce . Following this event, its population was displaced to adjacent cities, with some returning after Thebes was rebuilt by Kassandros two decades later, whereas Macedonian and later Roman presence in the area further contributed to population movements. These sociopolitical dynamics make Thebes an ideal case for studying human mobility in the region. This study employs biodistance analysis based on dental nonmetric and metric data to examine the degree of phenotypic heterogeneity within the NE cemetery of Thebes across the Classical and Hellenistic periods. The study also explores intracemetery biological kinship patterns and evaluates whether biological relatedness influenced burial organization and whether a common lifestyle was shared among biological relatives. Results indicate only limited phenotypic differentiation between periods, suggesting that population movement had a modest effect on the local gene pool and/or that exogamy was restricted. Furthermore, no particular association was found between biological relatedness and burial proximity, implying that kinship likely extended beyond immediate biological ties to include extended, social, or fictive kin relationships. The analysis of skeletal biomarkers showed no significant differences between closely or distantly related individuals, suggesting broadly similar lifestyles. Overall, the findings indicate that although biological relatedness contributed to identity formation, it had limited influence on lived experiences or burial organization in the cemetery.