Armenia in the Eurasian Ethnic Context of Late Classical Antiquity: Craniometric Evidence

A statistical analysis of measurements of crania from the 2nd and 3rd century AD cemetery at Beniamin, Armenia, indicates considerable morphological heterogeneity. Between-group comparisons reveal affinities between the Beniamin people and Scythians of the North Pontic region, the Sarmatians of the Volga–Ural region, and the Sacae of Western Central Asia. The results attest to intense migrations of nomads to Transcaucasia during Classical Antiquity and to the ethnic diversity of the Caucasian populations.