ABSTRACT

The Archaeology of Human Bones provides an up to date account of the analysis of human skeletal remains from archaeological sites, introducing students to the anatomy of bones and teeth and the nature of the burial record.

Drawing from studies around the world, this book illustrates how the scientific study of human remains can shed light upon important archaeological and historical questions. This new edition reflects the latest developments in scientific techniques and their application to burial archaeology. Current scientific methods are explained, alongside a critical consideration of their strengths and weaknesses. The book has also been thoroughly revised to reflect changes in the ways in which scientific studies of human remains have influenced our understanding of the past, and has been updated to reflect developments in ethical debates that surround the treatment of human remains. There is now a separate chapter devoted to archaeological fieldwork on burial grounds, and the chapters on DNA and ethics have been completely rewritten.

This edition of The Archaeology of Human Bones provides not only a more up to date but also a more comprehensive overview of this crucial area of archaeology. Written in a clear style with technical jargon kept to a minimum, it continues to be a key work for archaeology students.

chapter 1|13 pages

The nature of bones and teeth

chapter 2|15 pages

The nature of the burial record

chapter 3|26 pages

Archaeological fieldwork on burial grounds

chapter 4|43 pages

The assessment of age and sex

chapter 5|31 pages

Metric variation in the skull

chapter 7|26 pages

Non-metric variation

chapter 8|37 pages

Bone disease

chapter 9|25 pages

Dental disease

chapter 10|25 pages

Traces of injury on the skeleton

chapter 11|24 pages

Stable isotope analysis

chapter 12|20 pages

DNA analysis

chapter 13|21 pages

Cremated bone

chapter 14|18 pages

Ethics and human remains