Arizona State University SHESC

Osteology

The study of human and animal bones and teeth is a major focus of many SHESC faculty members and graduate students. Human osteology is integral to research in bioarchaeology, functional anatomy and morphology, paleoanthropology, paleopathology, and forensic anthropology. At ASU, courses in human osteology are offered at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, as well as during the summer field school program in Illinois. ASU holds significant educational and research collections of human skeletal remains and dental casts. These include the largest extant collection of dental casts, human skeletal remains from North America, India, and Africa, and the Ragsdale Pathology Collection. Large collections are also available at the Illinois field station. SHESC faculty and staff with active interests in human osteology, dental anthropology, and skeletal biology include Brenda Baker, Jane Buikstra, Diane Hawkey, Kelly Knudson, Gary Schwartz, Rachel Scott, Mark Spencer, and Chris Stojanowski. Brenda Baker’s research focuses on human skeletal remains in North America, Egypt, Sudan, and Cyprus. Her book, The Osteology of Infants and Children, helps ensure that children are not overlooked in analyses of and health and demography in past populations. Dr. Knudson’s work with archaeological human remains focuses on reconstructing residential mobility and paleodiet using biogeochemistry. Jane Buikstra conducts osteological research in North America, Mesoamerica, and the Andes. Her topics of interest range from paleopathology and paleodiet to funerary archaeology. Kelly Knudson’s work with archaeological human remains focuses on reconstructing residential mobility and paleodiet using biogeochemistry. Rachel Scott’s research employs a variety of osteological data to investigate aspects of social identity in medieval Ireland, such as the inference of gender roles from osteoarthritis patterning.


© 2007, School of Human Evolution & Social Change, ASU (revised 9/17/2007)