The people of Avaris: Intra-regional biodistance analysis using dental non-metric traits.

Dental non-metric traits have become widely used to estimate biological affinities, particularly by utilizing the Arizona State University Dental Anthropology System (ASUDAS). Here, we offer information from the Middle Bronze Age site of Avaris, located near modern Tell el-Dab'a in the Egyptian Nile Delta, that was ruled by the Hyksos kings during the Second Intermediate Period (circa 1640-1530 BCE). Dental non-metric traits were recorded from a sample of individuals (n=90) and analyzed using mean measure of divergence (MMD). Both intra- and inter-site analyses were conducted. The former compared the ancestry between locals and non-locals, defined isotopically by a recent study. The latter compared Avaris to other Egyptian sites to gauge its population distinctiveness. Results indicated that individuals defined as locals and non-locals were not ancestrally different from one another. There was, however, a significant difference (p<0.01) between the pooled locals and non-locals of Avaris and other Egyptian sites, regardless of spatial and/or temporal proximity. The results are in line with the archaeological evidence, suggesting Avaris was an important hub in the Middle Bronze Age eastern Mediterranean trade network, welcoming people from beyond its borders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]