Contribution
Identification of Italian Renaissance noble women through a bioarchaeological study of skeletal remains
Minozzi, Simona; Lubritto, Carmine; Ricci, Paola; Fornaciari, Gino; Giuffra, Valentina
HOMO Volume 71 No 2 (2020), p. 129 - 138
publié: Apr 30, 2020
publication en ligne: Mar 6, 2020
manuscrit accepté: Nov 18, 2019
révision final du manuscrit reçu: Nov 18, 2019
révision du manuscrit demandée: Nov 8, 2019
manuscrit reçu: Feb 13, 2019
ArtNo. ESP139007102005, Prix: 29.00 €
Abstract
Three female skeletons, dated back to the beginning of the 15th century were recovered during an archaeological excavation in the Guinigi Chapel in Lucca (Italy). Archaeological and historical sources indicated that the remains might be those of Paolo Guinigi’s wives. At the beginning of the 15th century Paolo Guinigi ruled Lucca for nearly 30 years (1400–1429), providing a long period of wealth and peace to the city. In those years of power Paolo Guinigi married four women from different countries. This study is aimed at identifying the three skeletons of Paolo’s wives found in the Guinigi Chapel. The three skeletons were identified using a multidisciplinary approach, by integrating historical, archaeological, anthropological, and isotopic data. The anthropological studies evidenced the biological profile of two adult women and of one adolescent female, in agreement with the historical descriptions of three of the four wives of Paolo Guinigi. The isotopic analysis supported the identification of each individual.
Mots-clefs
multidisciplinary study • skeletal identification • 15th century • Guinigi Chapel • Lucca • Italy