The Archaeology of Life and Death

3 units

The study of human remains in archaeological contexts offers us a rich perspective on human life and society in the past. Our bodies are shaped by genetics, environmental factors, subsistence, disease, and physical activities over the life course. At the same time, social organization, inequality, and ideologies also shape the human experience; they often become reflected in the built environments of tombs and cemeteries, the grave offerings, and interment styles that surround human remains in archaeological contexts. This course offers an introduction to bioarchaeology and mortuary archaeology as complementary approaches to the study of life in the past. The goal of the course is to understand how activities, norms and beliefs, and environments shaped bodies in life and death, and the different ways in which archaeologists can gain insight into the past through the study of human remains and burials. Course lectures and discussions focus on recent advances in research and ongoing debates in the two fields with examples from prehistory and history around the world, from North and South America, to Europe, Asia and Africa. Although this course will provide a basic overview of human skeletal anatomy, it is strongly recommended that students have taken an introductory course on the subject prior to enrolling in the class.