SU508: Advanced biologial anthropology (5 ECTS)

STADS: 29001101

Level
Bachelor course

Teaching period
The course is offered in the spring semester.
3rd quarter

Teacher responsible
Email: jboldsen@health.sdu.dk

Additional teachers
dopedersen@health.sdu.dk
ptarp@health.sdu.dk

Timetable
Show entire timetable
Show personal time table for this course.

Prerequisites:
None

Academic preconditions:
Knowledge of SU504 'Basic biological Anthropology' is expected.

Course introduction
The aim of the course is that the student attain knowledge about the theories and practical methods of handling and analyzing commingled bones. The work on the methods of sex determination and age estimation from the course SU504 is continued. The student will thus qualify to register and report an anthropological sample unassisted. Furthermore research articles within the field of biological anthropology will be introduced to give the student tools to be able critically to respond to such.

Expected learning outcome
At the end of the course the student is expected to be able to:

• Sort out commingled human bones in minimum number of individuals.
• Sex determine and age estimate human skeletons.
• Recognize bone pathological changes.Register and report an anthropological sample unassisted..
• Critically to read and respond to research articles within the field of biological anthropology.

Subject overview

• Commingled bones
• Sex determination and age estimation of skeletal material.
• Bone pathological changes
• Registration and reporting of anthropological material.
• Reading of research articles and presentation of the content of these.

Literature

• Adams B.J. & L.W. Konigsberg, 2004: Estimation of the most likely number of individuals from commingled human skeletal remains, American Journal of Physical Anthropology 125: 138-151.
• Bennike, P., M.E.Lewis, H. Schutkowski & F. Valentin, 2005: A comparison of childhood morbidity and mortality in two late medieval cemeteries from Denmark, American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 128: 734-746..
• Bocquet-Appel, J.P. & C. Masset, 1982: Farewell to paleodemography, Journal of Human Evolution, 11: 321-333..
• Boix, C. & F. Rosenbluth, 2014: Bones of Contention: The Political Economy of Height Inequality, American Political Science Review, p. 1-22..
• Boldsen, J.L.: Body Proportions, Population Structure and Height Prediction, Journal of Forensic Medicine Istanbul, 6: 157-165.
• Boldsen, J.L. 2001: An epidemiological approach to the paleopathological diagnosis of leprosy, American Journal of Physical Anthropology 115:380-387.
• Boldsen, J.L., 2006: Early childhood stress and adult age mortality – a study of Dental Enamel Hypoplasia in the Medieval Danish village of Tirup, American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 132: 59-66.
• Boldsen, J.L. & L. Mollerup, 2006: Outside St. Jørgen: Leprosy in the Medieval Danish City of Odense, American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 130: 344-351..
• Boldsen, J.L., G.R. Milner and S. Weise, 2015: Cranial vault trauma and selective mortality in medieval to early modern Denmark, PNAS, 112, no. 6, p. 1721-1726.
• Dewitte S.N., 2009: The effect of sex on risk of mortality during the black death in London, A.D. 1349-1350, American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 139: 222-234..
• Eshed, V., A. Gopher, T.B. Gave, I. Hershkovitz, 2004: Has the transition to agriculture reshaped the demographic structure of prehistoric populations? New evidence from the Levant, American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 124: 315-329..
• Hoppa, R.D. & J. Vaupel, 2002: The Rostock Manifesto for paleodemography: The way from stage to age. In: Paleodemography, Age distributions from skeletal samples.
• Hoppa R.D. & J.Vaupel (eds.): Cambridge, p. 1-9.
• Human Osteologiske metoder 2010: upubliceret registreringsmanual, ADBOU, Syddansk Universitet, Odense.
• Jørkow, M.L., 2015. Stature in 19th and early 20th century Copenhagen: A comparative study based on skeletal remains, Economics and Human Biology, 19: 13-26. .
• Milner, G.R., J.L. Boldsen, S. Weise, J.M. Lauritsen and U.H. Freund, 2015: Sex-related risks of trauma in medieval to early modern Denmark, and its relationship to change in interpersonal violence over time, International Journal of Paleopathology, 9: 59-68.
• Paine, R.R. & H.C. Harpending, 1996: Assessing the Reliability of Paleodemographic Gertility Estimators Using Simulated Skeletal Distributions, American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 101: 151-159.
• Wood, J.W., G.R. Milner, H.C. Harpending & K.M Weiss, 1992: The Osteological Paradox. Problems of inferring prehistoric health from skeletal samples, Current Anthropology, 33: 343-370.

Website
This course uses e-learn (blackboard).

Prerequisites for participating in the exam
None

Assessment and marking:
Active involvement in the lessons.
The exam consists of two parts: An oral examination in commingled bones and an exercise in skeletal registration and reporting.
Examination in commingled bones:

• A box with loose found bones are handed out. The student will have 1½ hour preparation before the oral examination. The student is expected to indicate the minimum number of individuals and the sex and age of these. Furtermore the student must be able to recognize pathological changes on the bones.

Examination in skeletal registration and reporting:

• The student has four days to register sex and age of 60 skeletons and afterwards to write up a report of the results. To the report an appendix of registration data is attached in electronic form for instance as Excel file.

Pass/fail, internal marking by teachers.

Expected working hours
The teaching method is based on three phase model.

12 forelæsninger. 12 laboratorieøvelser.
Educational activities

Educational form
Lectures 12. Laboratory exercises 12.

Language
This course is taught in Danish.

Course enrollment
See deadline of enrolment.

Tuition fees for single courses
See fees for single courses.