Semester:
Offered:
Prof. Jess Beck
Tues. and Thurs. 10:30 AM - 11:45 AM
Zooarchaeology Lab, Peabody 35B
Knowledge of human osteology is key for fields such as archaeology, biological anthropology, forensic anthropology, anatomy, and medicine. This course introduces students to human skeletal anatomy and the field of bioarchaeology, the study of human skeletal remains from archaeological sites. The first half of the course provides an introduction to skeletal anatomy for anthropologists and biologists and covers the entire human skeleton, with sections on growth, development, and pathology. The skeletal anatomy of select non-human mammals is used to demonstrate the functional morphology of each bone. This second half of the course introduces students to the basic methods of human skeletal analysis, including assessing the age, sex, health, and stature of an individual using their bones. The grade for this course will be based on a combination of participation, quizzes, larger assessments, and the maintenance of a “bone notebook” in which students sketch and describe individual skeletal elements. Students taking the course at the graduate level will also submit a final research paper that examines a topic of bioarchaeological significance in a region and/or period pertinent to their own academic research.