Introduction to Bioarchaeology - obligatory for MA 2800-AOBIO-1MA
Lecture presents complex relations between humans and their environment and how those interactions manifest in the archaeological record and how they can be used to reconstruct life of past societies. The lecture introduces variety of bioarchaeological methods allowing for reconstruction of past demography, epidemiology, biological standards of living, diet, mobility and migration, as well as, human physical activity. Discussed methods will be illustrated by several case studies showing how bioarchaeology can answer archaeological questions.
Type of course
Mode
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
- student understands the relations between environment and human individuals, and how those relations allow for reconstruction of the human past
- student knows the state-of-art methods allowing for the reconstruction of the demography of past populations, their well-being, diet, mobility, and physical activity
- student knows the prospects and limitation of bioarchaeological reconstruction of the past based on human remains
- student can indicate environmental factors affecting human well-being and describe how those factors manifest in archaeological record
- student can select a correct method to study either demography of past populations or their well-being, diet, mobility, or physical activity
- student can select archaeological sources necessary to understand the results of bioarchaeological analysis
- student is able to design bioarchaeological study to answer archaeological question
- student is able to criticality evaluate published bioarcheological study on the ground of methodology
- student is able to create synthesis of the results of the bioarchaeological and archeological analysis to create holistic reconstruction of hum of me
Assessment criteria
Written exam at the end of each semester.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: