Bioarchaeological science : what we have learned from human skeletal remains / Elizabeth Weiss.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Weiss, Elizabeth.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Human remains (Archaeology).

Human biology.

Human remains (Archaeology)--Analysis.

Bones--Analysis.

Bones.

Human skeleton--Analysis.

Human skeleton.

Human ecology.

Social ecology.

Paleopathology.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (152 pages) : illustrations

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

New York : Nova Science Publishers, c2009.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Bioarchaeology is one of the lesser-known fields of physical anthropology and yet it is one of the most researched topics in physical anthropology. Bioarchaeology, an ever-growing dynamic research field, is the study of human skeletal remains from archaeological sites to aid in reconstructing the biology and culture of past populations. Bioarchaeology has gained in popularity around the world and we have a renaissance of anthropological studies coming from both Western and Eastern Europe. North and South American anthropologists continue to make significant contributions to the field of bioarchaeology as well. The emphasis is on helping students understand the most current research coming from both the New and Old World published in the top peer-reviewed journals. Additionally, this book provides a brief history of bioarchaeology, a review of bone biology, and helpful introduction and summary sections at the beginning and end of each chapter. To assist students in studying and to provide discussion points, a list of key terms and chapter questions are provided at the end of each chapter. Finally, there are over 40 illustrations, photos, and graphs to help students grasp key concepts throughout the book.

Contents:

Introduction to bioarchaeology : history to present

Bone biology and human osteology : basics to understanding osteological research

Reconstructing activity patterns : making dead people move

Health and disease : understanding morbidity from the skeleton

Trauma : accidents, violence and surgery

Cultural modification : aesthetics of the past

Diet : foods of past populations

Biological relationships : who is related to whom

The future of bioarchaeology : where do we go from here

Appendix: Skeletal anatomy.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (p. [119]-137) and index.

Description based upon print version of record.

ISBN:

1-61209-854-1

OCLC:

704292669