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Published May 5, 2022 | Version v1
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Bare Bones

Description

This book offers an introduction to the field of osteoarchaeology, that is, the study of human skeletal remains from archaeological excavations. The readers will have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the fascinating information we may extract from our ancestors' skeletons regarding life in the past. The Introduction outlines the role of osteoarchaeologists compared to forensic anthropologists. Basic skeletal anatomy offers information regarding the functions of the skeleton, the number and morphology of different bones and teeth, and bone/tooth structure. Demography highlights the differences observed between male and female skeletons and presents basic principles of age-at-death estimation for adults and nonadults. Life in the past written on the bones deals with a) the importance of growth pattern studies in deciphering life quality in the past, b) the study of ancestry through genotypic and phenotypic skeletal data, c) the reconstruction of dietary patterns by means of oral diseases, chemical analysis, and microscopic analysis of dental plaque, d) the study of past activity patterns through the skeleton, highlighting the adaptability of our bones to mechanical stress, and e) the pathologies that may affect the human skeleton and how they manifest, with a focus on differential diagnosis and the so-called osteological paradox. Finally, Being an osteoarchaeologist showcases an osteoarchaeologist’s work in the field and the laboratory.

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