Welcome to MetaBioarch!

Database for osteoarchaeological, zooarchaeological, and archaeobotanical studies in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East.

MetaBioarch is a database of published human osteoarchaeological, zooarchaeological and archaeobotanical data from Hellenistic and Roman contexts in the Central and Eastern Mediterranean, with some entries also from the Balkans and Middle East. For zooarchaeological and archaeobotanical data, MetaBioarch includes the frequency of different animal and plant species. For humans, it presents summary data on mechanical stress markers (degenerative joint disease, intervertebral disc disease, Schmorl's nodes, entheseal changes), physiological stress markers (cribra orbitalia, porotic hyperostosis, enamel hypoplasia, periostitis), paleomobility (cranial and dental nonmetric traits, cranial and dental metrics, strontium and oxygen isotopes), as well as dental diseases. The aim of this initiative is to promote larger-scale studies and meta-analyses towards a better understanding of mobility, economy, human-environment interactions and other key aspects of the Hellenistic and Roman societies. Users can search the database using the interactive map and various data filtering options. We would be grateful if you could contact us in order to bring to our attention corrections as well as to contribute additional data. The MetaBioarch database was created as part of the MetaMobility project (EXCELLENCE/0421/0376), which is implemented under the programme of social cohesion “THALIA 2021-2027” cofunded by the European Union, through Research and Innovation Foundation. This work has also been supported by the Dan David Prize.