Bulletins et mémoires de la société d'anthropologie de Paris
Commémoration par l'utilisation des pigments dans des contextes mortuaires et architecturaux sur ... more Commémoration par l'utilisation des pigments dans des contextes mortuaires et architecturaux sur le site néolithique de Çatalhöyük (7100-5950 cal BC
Cornaux/Les Sauges (Switzerland, Late Iron Age) revealed remnants of a wooden bridge, artifacts, ... more Cornaux/Les Sauges (Switzerland, Late Iron Age) revealed remnants of a wooden bridge, artifacts, and human and animal skeletal remains. The relationship between the collapsed structure and the skeletal material, whether it indicates a potential accident or cultural practices, remains elusive. We evaluate the most plausible scenario for Cornaux based on osteological, taphonomic, isotopic, and paleogenomic analysis of the recovered individuals. The latter amount to at least 20 individuals, mostly adult males. Perimortem lesions include only blunt force traumas. Radiocarbon data fall between the 3rd and 1st c. BCE, although in some cases predating available dendrochronological estimates from the bridge. Isotopic data highlight five to eight nonlocals. No close genetic relatedness links the analyzed skeletons. Paleogenomic results, the first for Iron Age Switzerland, point to a genetic affinity with other Central and Western European Iron Age groups. The type of skeletal lesions supports an accidental event as the more plausible explanation. Radiocarbon data and the demographic structure of the sample may suggest a sequence of different events possibly including executions and/or sacrifices. Isotopic and paleogenomic data, while not favoring one scenario over the other, do support earlier interpretations of the last centuries BCE in Europe as a dynamic period from a biocultural perspective.
Among the most important aspects of social identity are sex and age-at-death. How these two pilla... more Among the most important aspects of social identity are sex and age-at-death. How these two pillars of social identity change during the life course of individuals forms a focus of archaeological attempts to reconstruct the lived experience and social structure of past human communities. With few exceptions, however, archaeological exploration of life course changes are often encumbered by a lack of integration of skeletal evidence, limited analytical approaches, and lack of a diachronic perspective. The Neolithic of the Near East provides an ideal archaeological setting to test the links between growing population densities and cultural complexity and alterations in the social perceptions of sex and age-at-death. Here, we update and expand previous analyses of gender and the life course at Neolithic Catalhoyuk (Central Anatolia, 7100-5950 cal. B.C.) by means of an interdisciplinary approach based on palaeopathological, funerary archaeological, and material cultural evidence, a multivariate analytical strategy, and a comparative perspective. The latter permits a contextualization of the observed patterns at Catalhoyuk against the broader picture of the Neolithic Near East. The results provide a new angle from which to consider the structuring of lived experience in this Neolithic community through time, at the same time providing a perspective on the social variability characterizing the Neolithic Near East
Species relationships in the bottlenose dolphin (genus Tursiops Gervais, 1855) are controversial.... more Species relationships in the bottlenose dolphin (genus Tursiops Gervais, 1855) are controversial. We carried out a comprehensive osteological study of 264 skulls, including type specimens, and 90 postcranial skeletons of Tursiops spp. to address taxonomic uncertainties in Australia using two-dimensional (2D) measurements, and three-dimensional geometric morphometrics (3DGM), tooth and vertebral counts, and categorical data. Analyses provided support for the presence of two forms, aligned to the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus (Ehrenberg, 1832)) and the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus (Montagu, 1821)), including type specimens. The Burrunan dolphin (Tursiops australis Charlton-Robb, Gershwin, Thompson, Austin, Owen and McKechnie, 2011) fell well within T. truncatus for both 2D and 3DGM methods. Thirteen Tursiops spp. specimens, no T. australis specimens, were of intermediate size (2D) and could not be assigned to either species. For 3DGM data, there was a strong allometric influence and few non-allometric differences between species. Length and width of the cranium and rostrum were important discriminating variables. Tursiops aduncus was smaller, had more teeth, fewer vertebrae, and more erosion on the pterygoids and frontals than T. truncatus. Overall cranium shape was round in T. aduncus and angular in T. truncatus. Skull length of T. aduncus was smaller in low than in high latitudes. This study highlights the importance of large sample size, multiple analytical methods, and extensive geographical coverage when undertaking taxonomic studies.
Anatomical Record-advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology, Apr 4, 2021
The quantification of cranial sexual dimorphism (CSD) among modern humans is relevant in evolutio... more The quantification of cranial sexual dimorphism (CSD) among modern humans is relevant in evolutionary studies of morphological variation and in a forensic context. Despite the abundance of quantitative studies of CSD, few have specifically examined intra‐sex variability. Here we quantify CSD in a geographically homogeneous sample of adult crania, which includes Italian individuals from the 19th and 20th centuries. Cranial morphology is described with 92 3D landmarks analyzed using Procrustean geometric morphometrics (PGMM). Size and shape variables are used to compare morphological variance between sexes in the whole cranium and four individual regions. The same variables, plus Procrustes form, are used to quantify average sex differences and explore classification accuracy. Our results indicate that: (a) as predicted by Wainer's rule, males present overall more variance in size and shape, albeit this is statistically significant only for total cranial size; (b) differences between sexes are dominated by size and to a lesser extent by Procrustes form; (c) shape only accounts for a minor proportion of variance; (d) the cranial base shows almost no dimorphism for shape; and (e) facial Procrustes form is the most accurate predictor of skeletal sex. Overall, this study suggests developmental factors underlying differences in CSD among cranial regions; stresses the need for population‐specific models that describe craniofacial variation as the basis for models that facilitate the estimation of sex in unidentified skeletal remains; and provides one of the first confirmations of “Wainer's rule” in relation to sexual dimorphism in mammals specific to the human cranium.
ABSTRACT Entheses (skeletal attachment sites of muscles and ligaments) and their pathologic modif... more ABSTRACT Entheses (skeletal attachment sites of muscles and ligaments) and their pathologic modifications (enthesopathies) have long been used as skeletal markers of activity in bioarchaeological (reconstruction of past populations lifestyle) and forensic (personal identification) contexts. However, a functional interpretation of these markers have to deal critically with the multifactorial etiology of the same. Factors such as sex, age, genetic factors, mechanical stress, metabolic conditions, etc.. can compete to produce the observed morphological variability at each attachment site. The aim of this thesis has drawn on the ongoing debate about the informativeness of entheseal modifications as skeletal markers of activity and represent a deepening of the actual knowledge about the relationship between these characters and sex, age and physical activity. For this purpose, the whole "Frassetto” identified skeletal collection of Sassari (Sardinia, Italy) was analyzed. The collection includes the skeletal remains of about 600 individuals died in the late 19th and early 20th century for whom information regarding sex, age at death and, in many cases the occupation are known The results obtained highlight the great age importance on the entheseal modifications. The differences observed between sexes may reflect differences in the level or type of activity performed in life, but could also be related to a different bone tissue response to mechanical stress due to hormonal factors and different growth rates. The role of biomechanical stress related to professional activities remains doubtful. This is probably partly attributable to the analyzed sample characteristics (preponderance of farmers compared with other professions, different mean age of the considered professional subsamples), which has hampered the analysis of samples homogenous with regard to age, which is very influential on the entheses and enthesopathies expression.
Since the emergence of nomadic pastoralism in Eastern Eurasia, warfare became a cultural char-act... more Since the emergence of nomadic pastoralism in Eastern Eurasia, warfare became a cultural char-acteristic of steppe nomads – not only directed towards sedentary cultures, but also among different nomadic tribes. Few bioarchaeological data are available for this contexts dating to Late Antiquity, hampering a discussion of the type of violence characterizing these societies.Here we present a study of skeletal trauma in Late Antique skeletal sample from Tunnug 1 (Tuva, Siberia – 2nd-4th c. AD), and address following research questions: a) which type of trauma are present? b) which demographic distribution char-acterizes the observed evidence?The skeletal injuries were macroscopically diag-nosed according to forensic criteria. Differences among sexes and age classes in frequency and type of trauma were tested by means of generalized linear models. The sample includes 78 individuals of both sexes and different age classes (44 adults, 34 subadults, 22 males and 10 females).17 individuals (21%) show perimortem trauma, mostly represented by sharp-force trauma and in 14 cases suggesting multiple strikes. In 6 cases cutmarks at the level of the cervical vertebrae point to the slicing of the throat. No significant association was found between sex, biological age, and presence or and type of injuries.Our results indicate a remarkable amount of violence experienced by this population, especially through raids. Also, they suggest that overkill and executions were relevant components of aggres-sive behaviors among Late Antique steppe nomads
The deposition and manipulation of human remains in natural caves are well known for the Neolithi... more The deposition and manipulation of human remains in natural caves are well known for the Neolithic of Southern Iberia. The cultural meaning of these practices is however still largely unclear. Cueva de los Marmoles (CM, Priego-Córdoba) is one of the most important cave contexts from Southern Spain, which returned a large number of commingled skeletal remains suggesting its funerary use from the Neolithic to the Late Bronze Age. Here we discuss CM from a chronological and cultural perspective based on new radiocarbon, anthropological, and taphonomic analyses. These include the estimation of the minimum number of individuals, the exploration of fragmentation patterns characterizing different skeletal regions, and the macroscopic and microscopic analysis of modifications to the remains of possible anthropic origin. Radiocarbon data point to a funerary use of CM between the 5th -2nd millennium cal. BCE. MNI estimates reveal the presence of at least 12 individuals (seven adults and five ...
Archaeologists have adopted the Gini coefficient to evaluate unequal accumulations of material, s... more Archaeologists have adopted the Gini coefficient to evaluate unequal accumulations of material, supporting narratives modelled on modern inequality discourse. Proxies are defined for wealth and the household, to render 21st century-style economic tensions perceptible in the past. This ‘property paradigm’ treats material culture as a generic rather than substantive factor in unequal pasts. We question this framing while suggesting that the Gini coefficient can prompt a deeper exploration of value. Our study grows from multi-material evaluation of inequality at Çatalhöyük, Turkey. Here we use the Gini coefficient to scrutinise distributions of burial practices among houses. To the expectations of the property paradigm, the result is unintuitive – becoming slightly more equal despite rising social complexity. We explore possible explanations for this result, each pointing to a more substantive link between past futures and differentiated lives as a framework for archaeologies of inequality.
Digital Applications in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage
The last decade has seen a steady increase in the application of virtual 3D approaches in cultura... more The last decade has seen a steady increase in the application of virtual 3D approaches in cultural heritage research. Although a large literature exists about the advantages of 3D methods in this field, here we go one step further and elucidate a) how image-based 3D reconstructions can be displayed in virtual reality (VR) space using freeware game engine software and low-cost VR hardware and b) highlight the relative benefits and advantages with a focus on interactive museum displays of relatively large archaeological objects. Specifically, we present three 3D models of different stone grave structures from the Neolithic necropolis of Lenzburg (Northern Switzerland, 4450-3500 BCE). The site has been excavated in 1959/60 and certain graves were subsequently preserved for museum display. By means of VR applications, it is now possible to experience these approximately 6000-year-old tombs with an innovative approach circumventing various barriers or constraints and offering interactive display options.
Background Computed tomography (CT) scans are a convenient means to study 3D reconstructions ... more Background Computed tomography (CT) scans are a convenient means to study 3D reconstructions of bones. However, errors associated with the different nature of the observation, e.g. visual and tactile (on dry bone) versus visual only (on a screen) have not been thoroughly investigated. Materials and methods We quantified the errors between modalities for sex estimation protocols of nonmetric (categorical and ordinal) and metric data, using 200 dry pelves of archaeological origin and the CT reconstructions of the same bones. In addition, we 3D surface scanned a subsample of 39 pelves to compare observations with dry bone and CT data. We did not focus on the sex estimation accuracy but solely on the consistency of the scoring, hence, the interchangeability of the modalities. Results Metric data yielded the most consistent results. Among the nonmetric protocols, ordinal data performed better than categorical data. We applied a slightly modified description for the trait with the hig...
Osteological collections are an essential source of information on human biological and cultural ... more Osteological collections are an essential source of information on human biological and cultural variability, providing insights about developmental, evolutionary, and biocultural processes. Among osteological series, documented human osteological collections (DHOC) are especially useful due to the opportunity to control biological parameters such as age-at-death and sex, which are typically unknown in archaeological or forensic cases. Raising ethical concerns about the collection, management, and study of human remains poses anthropologists with renewed responsibilities. These issues become especially pressing when dealing with DHOC. In this contribution, we discuss the scientific value and ethical issues characterizing DHOC using as case study the documented human osteological collections of the University of Bologna. This series includes more than 1000 individuals from Northern Italian and Sardinian cemeteries and is among the largest in Europe. It represents the basis for ongoin...
Bulletins et mémoires de la société d'anthropologie de Paris
Commémoration par l'utilisation des pigments dans des contextes mortuaires et architecturaux sur ... more Commémoration par l'utilisation des pigments dans des contextes mortuaires et architecturaux sur le site néolithique de Çatalhöyük (7100-5950 cal BC
Cornaux/Les Sauges (Switzerland, Late Iron Age) revealed remnants of a wooden bridge, artifacts, ... more Cornaux/Les Sauges (Switzerland, Late Iron Age) revealed remnants of a wooden bridge, artifacts, and human and animal skeletal remains. The relationship between the collapsed structure and the skeletal material, whether it indicates a potential accident or cultural practices, remains elusive. We evaluate the most plausible scenario for Cornaux based on osteological, taphonomic, isotopic, and paleogenomic analysis of the recovered individuals. The latter amount to at least 20 individuals, mostly adult males. Perimortem lesions include only blunt force traumas. Radiocarbon data fall between the 3rd and 1st c. BCE, although in some cases predating available dendrochronological estimates from the bridge. Isotopic data highlight five to eight nonlocals. No close genetic relatedness links the analyzed skeletons. Paleogenomic results, the first for Iron Age Switzerland, point to a genetic affinity with other Central and Western European Iron Age groups. The type of skeletal lesions supports an accidental event as the more plausible explanation. Radiocarbon data and the demographic structure of the sample may suggest a sequence of different events possibly including executions and/or sacrifices. Isotopic and paleogenomic data, while not favoring one scenario over the other, do support earlier interpretations of the last centuries BCE in Europe as a dynamic period from a biocultural perspective.
Among the most important aspects of social identity are sex and age-at-death. How these two pilla... more Among the most important aspects of social identity are sex and age-at-death. How these two pillars of social identity change during the life course of individuals forms a focus of archaeological attempts to reconstruct the lived experience and social structure of past human communities. With few exceptions, however, archaeological exploration of life course changes are often encumbered by a lack of integration of skeletal evidence, limited analytical approaches, and lack of a diachronic perspective. The Neolithic of the Near East provides an ideal archaeological setting to test the links between growing population densities and cultural complexity and alterations in the social perceptions of sex and age-at-death. Here, we update and expand previous analyses of gender and the life course at Neolithic Catalhoyuk (Central Anatolia, 7100-5950 cal. B.C.) by means of an interdisciplinary approach based on palaeopathological, funerary archaeological, and material cultural evidence, a multivariate analytical strategy, and a comparative perspective. The latter permits a contextualization of the observed patterns at Catalhoyuk against the broader picture of the Neolithic Near East. The results provide a new angle from which to consider the structuring of lived experience in this Neolithic community through time, at the same time providing a perspective on the social variability characterizing the Neolithic Near East
Species relationships in the bottlenose dolphin (genus Tursiops Gervais, 1855) are controversial.... more Species relationships in the bottlenose dolphin (genus Tursiops Gervais, 1855) are controversial. We carried out a comprehensive osteological study of 264 skulls, including type specimens, and 90 postcranial skeletons of Tursiops spp. to address taxonomic uncertainties in Australia using two-dimensional (2D) measurements, and three-dimensional geometric morphometrics (3DGM), tooth and vertebral counts, and categorical data. Analyses provided support for the presence of two forms, aligned to the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus (Ehrenberg, 1832)) and the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus (Montagu, 1821)), including type specimens. The Burrunan dolphin (Tursiops australis Charlton-Robb, Gershwin, Thompson, Austin, Owen and McKechnie, 2011) fell well within T. truncatus for both 2D and 3DGM methods. Thirteen Tursiops spp. specimens, no T. australis specimens, were of intermediate size (2D) and could not be assigned to either species. For 3DGM data, there was a strong allometric influence and few non-allometric differences between species. Length and width of the cranium and rostrum were important discriminating variables. Tursiops aduncus was smaller, had more teeth, fewer vertebrae, and more erosion on the pterygoids and frontals than T. truncatus. Overall cranium shape was round in T. aduncus and angular in T. truncatus. Skull length of T. aduncus was smaller in low than in high latitudes. This study highlights the importance of large sample size, multiple analytical methods, and extensive geographical coverage when undertaking taxonomic studies.
Anatomical Record-advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology, Apr 4, 2021
The quantification of cranial sexual dimorphism (CSD) among modern humans is relevant in evolutio... more The quantification of cranial sexual dimorphism (CSD) among modern humans is relevant in evolutionary studies of morphological variation and in a forensic context. Despite the abundance of quantitative studies of CSD, few have specifically examined intra‐sex variability. Here we quantify CSD in a geographically homogeneous sample of adult crania, which includes Italian individuals from the 19th and 20th centuries. Cranial morphology is described with 92 3D landmarks analyzed using Procrustean geometric morphometrics (PGMM). Size and shape variables are used to compare morphological variance between sexes in the whole cranium and four individual regions. The same variables, plus Procrustes form, are used to quantify average sex differences and explore classification accuracy. Our results indicate that: (a) as predicted by Wainer's rule, males present overall more variance in size and shape, albeit this is statistically significant only for total cranial size; (b) differences between sexes are dominated by size and to a lesser extent by Procrustes form; (c) shape only accounts for a minor proportion of variance; (d) the cranial base shows almost no dimorphism for shape; and (e) facial Procrustes form is the most accurate predictor of skeletal sex. Overall, this study suggests developmental factors underlying differences in CSD among cranial regions; stresses the need for population‐specific models that describe craniofacial variation as the basis for models that facilitate the estimation of sex in unidentified skeletal remains; and provides one of the first confirmations of “Wainer's rule” in relation to sexual dimorphism in mammals specific to the human cranium.
ABSTRACT Entheses (skeletal attachment sites of muscles and ligaments) and their pathologic modif... more ABSTRACT Entheses (skeletal attachment sites of muscles and ligaments) and their pathologic modifications (enthesopathies) have long been used as skeletal markers of activity in bioarchaeological (reconstruction of past populations lifestyle) and forensic (personal identification) contexts. However, a functional interpretation of these markers have to deal critically with the multifactorial etiology of the same. Factors such as sex, age, genetic factors, mechanical stress, metabolic conditions, etc.. can compete to produce the observed morphological variability at each attachment site. The aim of this thesis has drawn on the ongoing debate about the informativeness of entheseal modifications as skeletal markers of activity and represent a deepening of the actual knowledge about the relationship between these characters and sex, age and physical activity. For this purpose, the whole "Frassetto” identified skeletal collection of Sassari (Sardinia, Italy) was analyzed. The collection includes the skeletal remains of about 600 individuals died in the late 19th and early 20th century for whom information regarding sex, age at death and, in many cases the occupation are known The results obtained highlight the great age importance on the entheseal modifications. The differences observed between sexes may reflect differences in the level or type of activity performed in life, but could also be related to a different bone tissue response to mechanical stress due to hormonal factors and different growth rates. The role of biomechanical stress related to professional activities remains doubtful. This is probably partly attributable to the analyzed sample characteristics (preponderance of farmers compared with other professions, different mean age of the considered professional subsamples), which has hampered the analysis of samples homogenous with regard to age, which is very influential on the entheses and enthesopathies expression.
Since the emergence of nomadic pastoralism in Eastern Eurasia, warfare became a cultural char-act... more Since the emergence of nomadic pastoralism in Eastern Eurasia, warfare became a cultural char-acteristic of steppe nomads – not only directed towards sedentary cultures, but also among different nomadic tribes. Few bioarchaeological data are available for this contexts dating to Late Antiquity, hampering a discussion of the type of violence characterizing these societies.Here we present a study of skeletal trauma in Late Antique skeletal sample from Tunnug 1 (Tuva, Siberia – 2nd-4th c. AD), and address following research questions: a) which type of trauma are present? b) which demographic distribution char-acterizes the observed evidence?The skeletal injuries were macroscopically diag-nosed according to forensic criteria. Differences among sexes and age classes in frequency and type of trauma were tested by means of generalized linear models. The sample includes 78 individuals of both sexes and different age classes (44 adults, 34 subadults, 22 males and 10 females).17 individuals (21%) show perimortem trauma, mostly represented by sharp-force trauma and in 14 cases suggesting multiple strikes. In 6 cases cutmarks at the level of the cervical vertebrae point to the slicing of the throat. No significant association was found between sex, biological age, and presence or and type of injuries.Our results indicate a remarkable amount of violence experienced by this population, especially through raids. Also, they suggest that overkill and executions were relevant components of aggres-sive behaviors among Late Antique steppe nomads
The deposition and manipulation of human remains in natural caves are well known for the Neolithi... more The deposition and manipulation of human remains in natural caves are well known for the Neolithic of Southern Iberia. The cultural meaning of these practices is however still largely unclear. Cueva de los Marmoles (CM, Priego-Córdoba) is one of the most important cave contexts from Southern Spain, which returned a large number of commingled skeletal remains suggesting its funerary use from the Neolithic to the Late Bronze Age. Here we discuss CM from a chronological and cultural perspective based on new radiocarbon, anthropological, and taphonomic analyses. These include the estimation of the minimum number of individuals, the exploration of fragmentation patterns characterizing different skeletal regions, and the macroscopic and microscopic analysis of modifications to the remains of possible anthropic origin. Radiocarbon data point to a funerary use of CM between the 5th -2nd millennium cal. BCE. MNI estimates reveal the presence of at least 12 individuals (seven adults and five ...
Archaeologists have adopted the Gini coefficient to evaluate unequal accumulations of material, s... more Archaeologists have adopted the Gini coefficient to evaluate unequal accumulations of material, supporting narratives modelled on modern inequality discourse. Proxies are defined for wealth and the household, to render 21st century-style economic tensions perceptible in the past. This ‘property paradigm’ treats material culture as a generic rather than substantive factor in unequal pasts. We question this framing while suggesting that the Gini coefficient can prompt a deeper exploration of value. Our study grows from multi-material evaluation of inequality at Çatalhöyük, Turkey. Here we use the Gini coefficient to scrutinise distributions of burial practices among houses. To the expectations of the property paradigm, the result is unintuitive – becoming slightly more equal despite rising social complexity. We explore possible explanations for this result, each pointing to a more substantive link between past futures and differentiated lives as a framework for archaeologies of inequality.
Digital Applications in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage
The last decade has seen a steady increase in the application of virtual 3D approaches in cultura... more The last decade has seen a steady increase in the application of virtual 3D approaches in cultural heritage research. Although a large literature exists about the advantages of 3D methods in this field, here we go one step further and elucidate a) how image-based 3D reconstructions can be displayed in virtual reality (VR) space using freeware game engine software and low-cost VR hardware and b) highlight the relative benefits and advantages with a focus on interactive museum displays of relatively large archaeological objects. Specifically, we present three 3D models of different stone grave structures from the Neolithic necropolis of Lenzburg (Northern Switzerland, 4450-3500 BCE). The site has been excavated in 1959/60 and certain graves were subsequently preserved for museum display. By means of VR applications, it is now possible to experience these approximately 6000-year-old tombs with an innovative approach circumventing various barriers or constraints and offering interactive display options.
Background Computed tomography (CT) scans are a convenient means to study 3D reconstructions ... more Background Computed tomography (CT) scans are a convenient means to study 3D reconstructions of bones. However, errors associated with the different nature of the observation, e.g. visual and tactile (on dry bone) versus visual only (on a screen) have not been thoroughly investigated. Materials and methods We quantified the errors between modalities for sex estimation protocols of nonmetric (categorical and ordinal) and metric data, using 200 dry pelves of archaeological origin and the CT reconstructions of the same bones. In addition, we 3D surface scanned a subsample of 39 pelves to compare observations with dry bone and CT data. We did not focus on the sex estimation accuracy but solely on the consistency of the scoring, hence, the interchangeability of the modalities. Results Metric data yielded the most consistent results. Among the nonmetric protocols, ordinal data performed better than categorical data. We applied a slightly modified description for the trait with the hig...
Osteological collections are an essential source of information on human biological and cultural ... more Osteological collections are an essential source of information on human biological and cultural variability, providing insights about developmental, evolutionary, and biocultural processes. Among osteological series, documented human osteological collections (DHOC) are especially useful due to the opportunity to control biological parameters such as age-at-death and sex, which are typically unknown in archaeological or forensic cases. Raising ethical concerns about the collection, management, and study of human remains poses anthropologists with renewed responsibilities. These issues become especially pressing when dealing with DHOC. In this contribution, we discuss the scientific value and ethical issues characterizing DHOC using as case study the documented human osteological collections of the University of Bologna. This series includes more than 1000 individuals from Northern Italian and Sardinian cemeteries and is among the largest in Europe. It represents the basis for ongoin...
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Papers by Marco Milella