Dr. Ioanna Moutafi, Post-Doctoral Fellow of the Wiener Laboratory and expert in bioarchaeology and Aegean prehistory, will lead the course with assistance from Dr. Dimitris Michailidis, an anthropologist/paleontologist and Coordinator of the Wiener Laboratory. Human bones are a unique strand of archaeological evidence, as they provide a vast array of both biological and cultural information about life and death in the past. This course will offer both the theoretical and basic technical skills for the analysis and interpretation of human remains, through lectures, seminars and interactive hands-on practical sessions. The objective is to familiarize participants with all aspects of the human skeleton and the different insights they can offer us into the past.
The course will explore key themes in bioarchaeology, such as:
· Human skeletal anatomy – bone identification
· Estimation of sex and age-at-death
· Skeletal variation
· Dealing with commingled human remains
· Paleopathology
· Nutrition and diet
· Current biomolecular advances (a-DNA, stable isotopes)
· Bones in context: social bioarchaeology and funerary archaeology
A maximum of 12 participants will be accepted for the course. Preference is given to graduate and advanced undergraduate students with an interest in archaeological science, bioarchaeology, and funerary archaeology. The course is also ideal for professional archaeologists or museum curators who may occasionally need to work with human remains. This course is not geared toward people with significant experience in human osteology or bioarchaeology. No prior experience in human osteology is required.
Training fee is 450 euros for the entire course. Accommodation is not provided, but we will offer recommendations and assistance to course participants in order to arrange accommodation themselves.
The course will take place from September 4 to September 8, 2023. Applications will be submitted no later than May 8, 2023 via the online application form: https://ascsa.submittable.com/submit/213813/introduction-to-bioarchaeology-course-application
Applications will include a brief cover letter outlining the candidate’s background and interest in participating in the course, a CV, and names and email addresses of two referees. Referees might be contacted for references after the application deadline, if necessary. Participants who successfully complete the course of instruction will receive a certificate detailing the content of the course.
For further information or questions, please contact Dr. Ioanna Moutafi (imoutafi@yahoo.gr).