Devloped in the late 1970's, bioarcheaeology is the
study of human remains excavated from archaeological contexts. As a
discipline, bioarcheaeology has wholly revolutioned how we understand
humans of the past. Information concerning how past humans lived that
would otherwise would have been lost to time due to not being written
down reveals itself through careful skeletal analysis. If possible,
human remains from archaeological sites are analyzed to determine sex,
age, stature, population demographics, and health.
Some of the methods bioarchaeologists use include the study of visible
signs of infections and diseases on bones like porosities and new bone
formation, arthritis, fractures and breaks, DNA analysis, cavities and
abscesses in the teeth reflecting high-carb/high-sugar diets, stunting
reflecting childhood malnutrition, bone geometric properties reflecting
how active people were, microscopic scratches on tooth surfaces
reflecting what people ate, trauma analysis to help asceratin the scale
of inter/intra-personal violence in an area, and more.
The work of bioarchaeologists is not restricted to archaeological sites.
In addition to being employed by universities and museums, many
bioarchaeologists use their knowledge of the human skeleton to aid in
the recovery and identifcation of human remains. For instance,
bioarchaeologists have played a pivital in helping recover and identify
victims of mass disasters; organizations such as DMORT and the DPAA have
been created to serve such purposes. Those with a more forensic
background may also use their expertise to aid in criminal
investgiations. Known as
forensic anthropologists, these experts may assist law
enforcement in the analysis of more recent human remains (less than 50
years old) and helping determine what happened to the deceased at or
around the time of their death, in addition to creating a biological
profile to help in identifcation purposes.
Nor is the work of bioarchaeologists restricted to the analysis of
homo sapiens. Paleoanthropologists or paleo-osteologists seek
to understand the early development of anatomically modern humans, a
process known as hominization, through the reconstruction of
evolutionary kinship lines within the family Hominidae, working from
biological evidence (such as petrified skeletal remains, bone fragments,
footprints) and cultural evidence (such as stone tools, artifacts, and
settlement localities).
For those who wish to pursue bioarcheaeology as career choice, one
typically needs a masters or doctorate degree in archaeology or
anthropology. Most universities offer courses in bioarchaeology at the
undergraduate level in addition to traditional archaeology and
biological anthropology courses to introduce students to the field. At
the graduate level, some universities offer specialized programs in
bioarchaeology. In addition to coursework, bioarchaeologists must
complete a field school from an accredited institution. Although a
general field school is sufficient, individuals interested in
bioarchaeology are encouraged to enroll in a field school with a special
focus on bioarchaeology. In addition, given the ethical concerns that
come with handling human remains (and anthropology's problematic history
of handling them), it is important that bioarchaeologists familiarize
themselves with the laws and regulations that are in place regarding the
handling of human remains, especially with laws concerning repatriation.
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