Researchers have determined that dozens of men discovered bound in chains near Athens were most likely native to the area, not foreign invaders such as mercenaries or pirates. Chemical analysis of their teeth demonstrated that 64 out of 66 prisoners examined exhibited isotopic signatures indicating they were raised in the Attica region.
The burial site, uncovered in 2016 at Phaleron on Athens' coastline, contained the remains of 79 adult males lying in a shallow trench, many still shackled with metal restraints and laid out in three parallel lines. Due to this unusual arrangement, archaeologists interpret the site as evidence of a large-scale public execution.
However, the true identity of these men had previously been unclear. Speculation ranged from foreign soldiers and pirates to local political dissidents. A recent study has now shed light on where most of these men spent their childhood years.
Dental Chemistry Reveals Childhood Origins
Using strontium isotope analysis, a team led by Julianne R. Stamer from Arizona State University traced the geological signatures recorded in tooth enamel. Since enamel forms during early life and remains unchanged, it preserves a chemical record of the landscape where a person grew up.
The team analyzed teeth from 163 individuals exhumed at Phaleron, including 66 men from the mass grave known as the Esplanade, along with 97 others from the surrounding cemetery.
The findings revealed that, applying the more conservative analysis method, 156 out of 163 individuals, or 95.7%, matched strontium isotope values typical of Attica. Even under a more stringent classification seeking subtler differences, 89% were still identified as local.
Majority of Prisoners Were Native to the Region
The results from the men in chains were even more revealing. Of the 66 analyzed prisoners, 64, or 96.9%, exhibited isotope ratios consistent with Attica’s local geology. Only two men showed signatures from outside the area. The team also compared these prisoners to others buried elsewhere at Phaleron, finding no significant differences in isotope values. Thus, the shackled men were not geographically distinct from the broader cemetery population.
“Contrary to our expectation, those buried in the Esplanade are overwhelmingly locals from the region of Attica,” the authors wrote.
As the researchers explain, the violent event signified by this mass grave “primarily targeted people within the local Attic community”. Their results, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, challenge previous beliefs suggesting the men were foreign mercenaries or pirates and contradict theories identifying the burial as remains of defeated outside invaders.
Minimal Evidence of Childhood Mobility in Cemetery
To explore childhood movement, the team analyzed multiple teeth from 28 individuals. Since tooth formation spans different ages, contrasting isotope values within an individual can indicate relocation during growth. For 26 of 28 people (92.9%), all tested teeth bore isotope ratios consistent with local origin, implying they did not move between geologically distinct locales during childhood.
Only two individuals showed mixed patterns: one’s early childhood tooth exhibited a radiogenic signature different from local values but later teeth matched the Attica region, suggesting they arrived after infancy. Another had adolescent teeth with non-local isotopes.
Overall, just seven out of 163 tested individuals were categorized as non-local using the conservative methodology. Their isotopic signatures pointed toward geologically different regions such as the Peloponnese or Western Macedonia, but bone degradation hindered precise identification.
While this study does not clarify the motive behind the execution of these 79 men, their dental profiles provide a clear clue: nearly all prisoners grew up within Attica, suggesting the tragedy involved regional inhabitants rather than foreign adversaries.
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