This course integrates techniques such as osteological analysis, paleopathology, stable isotope studies, ancient DNA sequencing, and proteomics, with archaeological, environmental, and historical data, to reconstruct the lives, health, and experiences of past populations. By combining biological information with cultural and contextual evidence, bioarchaeology offers a holistic perspective on how humans adapted to their environments, structured their societies, and experienced social inequalities or cultural change. 

Beyond reconstructing individual lives, bioarchaeology contributes to broader debates in archaeology and anthropology, such as the development of agriculture, migration dynamics, and human responses to climatic and environmental shifts. The field is inherently interdisciplinary and collaborative, drawing upon medical sciences, chemistry, and archaeology to produce a nuanced picture of human history. A particular focus will be placed on stable isotope investigations aimed at reconstructing subsistence practices, identifying dietary changes over time, tracing population movements, and exploring human responses to environmental and cultural transformations. As such, stable isotope analysis has become a cornerstone of bioarchaeological and palaeoenvironmental research, offering a direct line of evidence that complements material culture and historical records.

At the end of the course, students will be able to: i) identify theoretical and methodological tools in bioarchaeological investigations; ii) critically analyse bioarchaeological studies of the past; iii) improve their understanding of biomolecular techniques in the study of Cultural Heritage; iv) understand the integration between theoretical perspectives and lab-based analysis.

The course will consist of a series of classes (5 CFU, 40 hours), where methods for the reconstruction of past human lifeways will be addressed. Classes will have a first part, centred on methodology and a second part, where a historical reconstruction of past cultural practices (in a chronological perspective) will be offered. The course will have a laboratory activity (1 CFU, 12 hours), where students will interrogate and analyse stable isotope data, produce outputs and perform basic statistical analysis.

Texbooks*:

• M.A. Pollard & C. Heron. 2008. Archaeological Chemistry. The Royal Society of Chemistry, London. (to read: chapters 1, 2, 10, 11)
• M.A. Katzenberg & S. Saunders. 2008. Biological anthropology of the human skeleton. Second Edition. Academic Press, New York. (to read: chapters 11-13).

*Students who have not attended the practical sessions and therefore are not able to present their work in class, are required to study the following article: 

Roberts, Patrick, Ricardo Fernandes, Oliver E. Craig, Thomas Larsen, Alexandre Lucquin, Jillian Swift, and Jana Zech. "Calling all archaeologists: guidelines for terminology, methodology, data handling, and reporting when undertaking and reviewing stable isotope applications in archaeology." Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry 32, no. 5 (2018): 361-372 (see folders "Textbook and reading material").

**handouts will be given during classes.