BIOARCHAEOLOGY OF DEATH

Catalog description

This course provides a solid grounding in the analysis of the archaeology of mortuary ritual with an emphasis on bioarchaeology, the study of human remains in archaeological contexts. We cover the treatment of the dead as it both reflects and shapes the ideologies of the living, and examine death as a period of transition and renegotiation for both the dead and the community as a whole. We incorporate the analysis of data from human remains and cemeteries (including paleodemography, a-DNA and stable isotopes, and trauma, nutrition, and pathology markers) to yield insights into the lives of the deceased and the ways in which these factors impacted the ritual treatment of the dead.