APPLICATION OF TWO DIFFERENT METHODS IN THE STUDY OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL MATERIALS FROM TASHBULAK
Abstract
The Tashbulak monument is considered to be one of the most widely studied archaeological monuments in the
territory of Uzbekistan. This site is located in the mountainous region of Jizzakh region, and includes an ancient
cemetery which was found together with the monument. This article compares two different approaches to the
study of skulls - «geometric-morphometric analysis» and «craniology method». Initial studies of the skulls
using the geometric-morphometric method did not reveal relationships among the inhabitants of the site, except
for a few similarities. For this reason, the method of craniology, previously unused in this context has been
applied. The results of craniological analysis repeated the results of geometric-morphometric analysis. This
study also assesses the advantages and limitations of both methods in the context of physical anthropology
in Uzbekistan. While craniometry faces challenges when working with small collections, such as difficulties
in comparing a limited number of skulls, its advantage lies in standardizing data preparation for physical
anthropology studies. On the other hand, the geometric-morphometric method, despite its requirement for
complete re-measurement of the collection for comparison, offers a lower probability of error and facilitates
automatic and rapid statistical analysis using computer programs.
About the Authors
List of references
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