Admission requirements
Admission to the MSc Archaeology programme.
This course is only available to Master’s students with Human Osteoarchaeology as their first focus area, or Research Master’s students in the Bioarchaeology track, with a focus on human osteoarchaeology.
Description
This internship in Human Osteoarchaeology focuses on applying your knowledge of human osteology to the analysis of skeletons from archaeological contexts.
You are expected to be responsible for a minimum of 5 skeletons from the beginning to final stages of analysis. This will include cleaning, sorting, restoration, inventory, photography and measurement of skeletal and dental remains.
This will be followed by the application of more advanced methods to determine age-at-death, sex, stature and body size, and the documentation and differential diagnosis of pathological lesions.
Results will be prepared following a standardised form. You will also learn how to enter data into a database like Access and generate queries to obtain summary results. In this way, you will contribute to ongoing research projects of the Human Osteoarchaeology Laboratory at the Faculty of Archaeology.
Course objectives
Ability to determine and differentiate parts of the human skeleton while unsupervised;
Ability to use scientific equipment to collect standard anatomical measurements based on common skeletal landmarks while unsupervised;
To learn to create a detailed inventory of human remains using correct anatomical terminology;
Ability to apply advanced osteobiographical methods of age-at-death, sex, and stature and body size determination;
To practice the identification of pathological conditions and diagnosis differentials;
To learn how to use a database programme for osteology data management.
Timetable
Course schedule details can be found in the MA and MSc time schedule.
Mode of instruction
Lectures;
Course readings (see reading list);
Individual tutoring via checks of each standardised skeleton form.
Course load
The course load will be distributed as follows:
Literature and data entry (0.5 ec);
Laboratory time (4,5 ec).
Assessment method
Completion of laboratory forms for 5 skeletons (95%);
Completion of Access database entry (5%).
The internship must be completed within 6 weeks’ time.
Reading list
Data collection standards (articles, book chapters) are contained in shared binders in the Osteoarchaeology Laboratory.
Registration
Registration for the course or the exam is not required.
Contact
For more information about this course, please contact dr. S.A. (Sarah) Schrader.
Remarks
Compulsory attendance.