Anthropology 397DD - ST-Bioarchaeology of Violence

Bioarchaeology is the collaborative study of biological human remains in context. Biological remains uncovered from archaeological sites facilitate the interpretation of lifetime events. Age, sex, stature, disease, injury, violent death, physical activity, dental health and tooth use, diet and nutritional status, pregnancy and birth, and mortuary behavior are but a small sampling of the kinds of information that can be gleaned. The study of violence has often been conducted with little or no consideration for the specific and often unique cultural meanings associated with it. Warfare and violence are not merely reactions to a set of external variables but rather are encoded with intricate cultural meaning. This course emphasizes the importance of empirical data and theoretical models in classifying the specific types of violence as opposed to homogenizing all violence into a single category. Furthermore, the course is designed so that students will obtain a foundation in violence studies as it relates to skeletal analysis. Topics will include the history of bioarchaeology in the Unites States, NAGPRA legislation and ethical considerations in skeletal research, techniques in forensic anthropology, and archaeological context (taphonomy, mortuary, and demography).

Pre Req: ANTHRO 103