Necropolis of the Banu Church (XVIth-XIXth centuries). Anthropological research, comparative data and analogies with other synchronous series found on the territory of Moldova

This report presents comparative anthropological data concerning an osteological series (dated from the XVIth – XIXth centuries) exhumed in 2011 on the premises of the Banu Church of Iasi or found in other Moldavian synchronous necropolises – the osteological series (dated from the XVIth – XVIIIth centuries) discovered in 2007 in the necropolis of “Sfantul Nicolae – Ciurchi” Church – Iasi; the osteological series (dated from the XVIIth century) exhumed in 2008 from the necropolis located in the eastern part of the ancient “Curtea Domneasca” of Iasi; the necropolis from Siret (XIVth - XIXth centuries), discovered in 1992; the necropolis from Rachiteni (XVIth-XVIIth centuries), discovered in 1999, and the necropolis from Vanatori (XVIth century). The comparative analysis of the dimensional and conformative data revealed that the studied populations are defined by meso-brachycranic, ortho-hypsicranic or tapeino-metriocranic skullcaps, average or large occipital bones, meso-euryprosopic or mesene faces with meso-hypsiconceone orbits, meso-leptorrhine nose, orthognathic profiles and over-average or tall stature. Typologically speaking, the populations appear polymorphous and they belong to the large Europoid group (very few skulls present some Mongoloid influences). Depending on the frequency identified within each group, the typological features associated with these populations define the main biological background and the general typological array