A foreign dynasty, known as the Hyksos, ruled parts of Egypt between c. 1638-1530 BCE. Their origins are thought to be rooted in the Near East, which is supported by architectural features and grave accoutrements of Tell el-Dab c a. In this former Hyksos capital in the Eastern Nile Delta, burial culture is characterized by a blend of Egyptian and Near Eastern elements. However, investigations are still ongoing as to where the Hyksos came from and how they rose to power. The aim of this study is to elucidate the question of possible provenience. We present the results of strontium isotope (87 Sr/ 86 Sr) ratios of human tooth enamel (n = 75) from Tell el-Dab c a, focusing on comparing pre-and during Hyksos rule and sex-based differences. An influx of non-locals can be observed in the pre-Hyksos period (12 th and 13 th Dynasties, c. 1991-1649 BCE) during the constitution of this important harbor town, while the number of individuals already born in the Delta is larger during the Hyksos period. This is consistent with the supposition that, while the ruling class had Near Eastern origins, the Hyksos' rise to power was not the result of an invasion, as popularly theorized, but an internal dominance and takeover of foreign elite. There is a preponderance of non-local females suggesting patrilocal residence. We discuss our findings against the current evidence of material culture and historiography, but more investigation in Near Eastern comparative sites has to be conducted to narrow our future search for the actual origins of the Hyksos.

The growth of gender archaeology has improved the inclusion of female and juvenile narratives in archaeological discourse, enabling us to better understand interactions between groups defined by both social and physiological differences. There has been a notable absence of elderly in research, however, that is not simply a question of attitudes but of methodological limitations. The emergence of biostatistics has offered novel ways to combat common issues such as age mimicry and avoid the problematic nature of culturally loaded descriptive terminology. A test performed on Transition Analysis by Boldsen et al. (2002), generates individual age estimates, which allow for better differentiation between individuals and age groups, such as the ‘45+ older adults’. Further research into biostatistical methods will not only improve objectivity but bring much-needed attention to the elderly, including their narrative into the investigation of family dynamics and adult-juvenile interactions.

Objectives Found throughout the ancient Near East during the Middle Bronze Age (ca. 2000–1600 BCE), many modern scholars emphasize that weapon‐associated burials are ideological and symbolic associations, not reflections of occupation. However, the term “warrior burial” still carries interpretive value that misinforms popular perception. The site of Sidon (Lebanon) offers an excellent context to discuss this phenomenon. Our paper aims to assess whether there are any commonalities or trends that set the Sidonian weapon‐associated burials (n = 6) apart from the rest of the assemblage (n = 62) beyond funerary practice and to explore any patterns regarding occupation and/or elite lifestyle. Materials and methods The six skeletons, presumed to be males with funerary practices, associated with high social status and cultural values awarded to the warrior elite, were examined using bioarchaeological methods (paleopathology, activity lesions, stable isotopes and non‐metric dental traits). Results Weapon‐associated burials shared similar pathological condition prevalence to the “non‐warriors.” Further, noweapons‐associated burials display common skeletal evidence of interpersonal violence. Additionally, they do not present specific entheseal changes suggestive of frequent weaponry use. δ13C and δ15N analysis of bone collagen found that all weapon‐associated burials except Burial 12 consumed a diet similar to the wider assemblage. Finally, the different avenues of statistical analysis using dental nonmetric traits indicate that the weapon‐associated burials were not from ancestry groups different from the rest of the Sidon population. Discussion Therefore, we conclude that associating those individuals with copper alloy weaponry is a funerary gesture reflecting more their social and/or cultural status than their occupation and lived experience. We suggest care when using the term “warrior burial” with these types of funerary practices, as it may conflate incorrect interpretation.

Objectives: Excavations at Sidon (Lebanon) have revealed dual identities during the Middle Bronze Age (ca. 2000-1600 BCE): a maritime port and center for local distribution, as well as a settlement with a heavy subsistence dependence on the extensive inland hinterlands. We aim to investigate residential mobility at Sidon using isotopic analyses of 112 individuals from 83 burials (20 females, 26 males, and 37 subadults). Veneration and remembrance of the dead is evident from funerary offerings in and near the tombs. With marine fish a major component in funerary offerings, we predict major marine reliance in this coastal population.Materials and methods: New isotopic evidence of paleomobility ( 87 Sr/ 86 Sr, δ 18 O) and diet (δ 13 C carbonate ) is the focus of this research. Previous bulk bone collagen δ 13 C and δ 15 N analysis is strengthened by further sampling, along with δ 34 S where collagen yield was sufficient. Results:The five non-locals identified (8.9% of the 56 analyzed) come from constructed tombs with high-status grave goods except for one, which was heavily disturbed in antiquity. Dietary investigation of the population confirms reliance on terrestrial resources with no significant marine input. No significant differences in diet between the sexes or burial types are present.Conclusions: Although Sidon was part of a growing Mediterranean network evidenced through artefactual finds, relatively low immigration is evident. While religious feasts venerating the dead may have involved significant piscine components, no appreciable marine input in diet is observed. Fish may have been reserved for the deceased or only consumed on feast days alongside the dead rather than a regular part of the Bronze Age menu.

The origin of the Hyksos dynasty (c. 1638–1530 BCE) is thought to be rooted in the Near East given the architectural features and burial customs present at the site of Tell el-Dabca, identified as the capital of Hyksos rule in the Eastern Delta of Egypt. We expand previous 87Sr/86Sr research on the site’s cemetery assemblage using a multi-isotopic methodology: oxygen (δ18O) and carbon (δ13Ccarb) stable isotopes from the carbonate portion of tooth enamel (n = 75), along with collagen (δ13Ccoll, δ15N) analysis of dentine and bone (n = 31). Pairing δ18O with previous 87Sr/86Sr data identifies 60% of the cohort as non-locals (45/75). Although there were a greater proportion of non-local females (24/30, 80%) compared to males (10/20, 50%), there were no significant differences between the sexes in δ13Ccarb or δ18Ocarb values. There were no spatial patterns regarding the three cemetery sites, nor any observable patterns regarding where non-locals were interred in the largest excavated cemetery, Area A/II. Both first-generation immigrants and individuals from the northeastern Nile Delta were buried following elite Asiatic burial customs, suggesting continuation of foreign burial culture. All collagen showed poor preservation; δ13Ccoll and δ15N analysis were not possible. δ13Ccarb showed no significant difference between locals and non-local diet, although non-locals at Tell el-Dabca did eat a broader variety of foods as a group, suggested by a wider δ13Ccarb range (− 13.5 to − 9.6‰ in non-locals compared to locals’ − 12.1 to − 10.3‰). If there is a difference in food culture between immigrants and native Egyptians, it was not observable using isotopic analyses.