Undergraduate Course: The Human Skeleton in Archaeology and Forensic Science: Investigating Death and the Dead (ARCA08014)
Course Outline
| School | School of History, Classics and Archaeology |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course aims to provide a broad introduction to the study of archaeological and forensic human skeletal remains. It will provide students with the opportunity to become familiar with various topics associated with this discipline, offering introductory instruction in skeletal anatomy and an insight into the methods used by osteologists in assessing demographic information such as sex, age-at-death disease. The curriculum will cover ethical issues and a history of the discipline. |
| Course description |
List of lecture topics:
1. Introduction
2. Forensic Anthropology: an introduction
3. Skeletal Anatomy 1
4. Nature of an Archaeological bone assemblage
5. Skeletal Anatomy II
6. History of Archaeological and forensic skeletal studies
7. Assessing demographic features
8. Juvenile skeletons
9. Health and disease
10. Forensic Archaeology I
11. forensic Archaeology II
12. Iron Age journeys to the afterlife
13. Communal burial: the European Neolithic
14. Death and Burial in Ancient Egypt
15. Death and Burial in Scotland BC to ad
16. Interpretation of burial practices
17. Violent death
18. Palaeodemography
19. Constant companions; animals in funerary contexts
20. Limitations and revision.
Practical sessions
1. Anatomy
2. Recording a burial
This course aims to provide a broad introduction to the study of archaeological and forensic human skeletal remains. It will provide students with the opportunity to become familiar with various topics associated with this discipline, offering introductory instruction in skeletal anatomy and an insight into the methods used by osteologists in assessing demographic information such as sex, age-at-death disease. The curriculum will cover ethical issues and a history of the discipline. A series of case studies that will utilise existing expertise and research interests of staff will explore various types of burial practices through time. Some specialized topics, such as forensic archaeology, palaeodemography and facial reconstruction, will be introduced and students will have an opportunity to discuss the potentials and limitations of human skeletal analysis through seminars.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Any first level course achieved no later than August of the previous academic year. |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2021/22, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: 42 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 20,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 2,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 4,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
170 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Coursework: 1,000 word short report (40%), and
3,000 word essay (60%) |
| Feedback |
Students will receive written feedback on their coursework, and will have the opportunity to discuss that feedback further with the tutor/Course Organiser during their published office hours or by appointment. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- produce sound properly referenced and concise pieces of coursework, in accordance with the common marking scale.
- demonstrate awareness of some key themes and ideas in osteological research.
- demonstrate familiarity with the human skeleton and the relevance of such remains to archaeological interpretation.
- demonstrate a critical awareness of how scientific thought and its relationship to archaeology has influenced interpretations of human remains.
- demonstrate a basic understanding of the type of information that can be obtained from human skeletal remains and an understanding of the limitations imposed by the nature of human skeletal analysis.
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Reading List
1. Larsen, C.S. 2015. Bioarchaeology: Interpreting behaviour from the human skeleton. Second edition. Cambridge Studies in Biological and Evolutionary Anthropology. Cambridge University Press.
2. Mays, S. 2012. The Archaeology of Human Bones. London: Routledge.
3. Parker Pearson, M. (1999). The Archaeology of Death and Burial. Thrupp. Sutton Publishing
4. Roberts, C.A., 2009. Human Remains in Archaeology: A Handbook (CBA Practical Handbook. Council for British Archaeology.
5. Hunter, J. and Cox, M. 2005. Forensic archaeology: advances in theory and practice. London: Routledge
6. Nafte, M. 2000. Flesh and Bone: an introduction to forensic anthropology.
7. White, Tim D. & P.A. Folkens, 2005. The Human Bone Manual. Elsevier Academic Press.
8. Brothwell, D.R., 1981. Digging up Bones. Third edition. British Museum (Natural History). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
9. McKinlay, J.I. & C. Roberts, 1993. Excavation and Post-excavation Treatment of Cremated and Inhumed Remains. London: Institute of Field Archaeologists Technical Paper Number 13. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
1. to gather data on a research topic and organize it into a coherent set
2. to compare and interpret differing sets of data from varying situations
3. to critically evaluate and judge different approaches to data and analytical methods
4. to actively understand, interpret and use both written and visual information
5. to formulate and clearly express ideas, both in oral and s written form
6. to organize complex ideas and arguments into a coherent set of conclusions
7. to schedule their learning duties, manage their workload and develop a timetable
8. to cooperate efficiently with others within their peer group as well as seniors (tutors and supervisors). |
| Keywords | Human Skel |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Linda Fibiger
Tel: (0131 6)50 2379
Email: Linda.Fibiger@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Katy Robinson
Tel: (0131 6)50 3780
Email: krobins3@ed.ac.uk |
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