Anthropology
A.Y. 2024/2025
Learning objectives
The course aims to prepare students in the study of human remains in order to reconstruct the past, ancient and recent. It aims also to give the basic principles for the collection and recovery of remains and preparation of the biological profile of human osteological remains, both single and in larger groups. It also aims to educate on the importance of human remains as cultural heritage and on how to preserve them.
Expected learning outcomes
The student is expected to learn the basics of the following topics
- Introduction, evolution and development of anthropology; basics of cultural, biomolecular and biological anthropology
- Macrosopcic and microscopic human osteology and odontology
- Biomolecular diagenesis and biomolecular techniques on bones
- Metric and non metric analyses
- Skeletal taphonomy
- Determination of species
- Determination of sex
- Age estimation
- Determination of ancestry, stature, physiognomy; facial reconstruction
- Palaeopathology; occupational trauma, trauma, infections, metabolic disease, nutritional deficit, neoplastic disease
- Inhumations, cremations and mummies
- Forensic anthropology
- Recovery and restoration of human skeletal remains
- Paleodemography and paleo epidemiology
- Identification of historical characters
- Musealisation of human remains
- Skeletal collections
- Introduction, evolution and development of anthropology; basics of cultural, biomolecular and biological anthropology
- Macrosopcic and microscopic human osteology and odontology
- Biomolecular diagenesis and biomolecular techniques on bones
- Metric and non metric analyses
- Skeletal taphonomy
- Determination of species
- Determination of sex
- Age estimation
- Determination of ancestry, stature, physiognomy; facial reconstruction
- Palaeopathology; occupational trauma, trauma, infections, metabolic disease, nutritional deficit, neoplastic disease
- Inhumations, cremations and mummies
- Forensic anthropology
- Recovery and restoration of human skeletal remains
- Paleodemography and paleo epidemiology
- Identification of historical characters
- Musealisation of human remains
- Skeletal collections
Lesson period: First semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Course syllabus
The course plans to train students in the study of human remains to reconstruct and understand the past and solve crime. It also aims to provide the basics of collecting, recovering, and biological profiling of osteological human remains. In the end, the course aims to emphasize how crucial human remains are as cultural heritage and how to preserve them.
- Introduction, evolution and development of anthropology: outlines of cultural anthropology and ethnology; physical anthropology; biological anthropology; biomolecular anthropology.
- Macroscopic and microscopic human osteology: skeletal and dental systems.
- Anthropologically informative biomolecules: DNA and polymorphisms, proteins, trace elements.
- Biomolecular diagenesis and biomolecular techniques applied to anthropology.
- Metric and non-metric analyses of the skeleton.
- Concepts of skeletal taphonomy.
- Determination of species.
- Determination of time of death.
- Diagnosis of sex.
- Age estimation.
- Determination of ancestry, stature, constitution and physiognomy; craniofacial reconstruction.
- Paleopathology: occupational signs, trauma, infections, metabolic diseases, nutritional deficits, neoplastic diseases.
- Study of inhumations, cremations, and mummies.
- Hints of forensic anthropology: identification of skeletal remains, diagnosis of cause of death, signs of injury, and time of death.
- Concepts of recovery and restoration of skeletal remains.
- Paleodemography and paleoepidemiology.
- Identification of historical figures.
-Musealization of skeletal remains.
- Skeletal collections
- Introduction, evolution and development of anthropology: outlines of cultural anthropology and ethnology; physical anthropology; biological anthropology; biomolecular anthropology.
- Macroscopic and microscopic human osteology: skeletal and dental systems.
- Anthropologically informative biomolecules: DNA and polymorphisms, proteins, trace elements.
- Biomolecular diagenesis and biomolecular techniques applied to anthropology.
- Metric and non-metric analyses of the skeleton.
- Concepts of skeletal taphonomy.
- Determination of species.
- Determination of time of death.
- Diagnosis of sex.
- Age estimation.
- Determination of ancestry, stature, constitution and physiognomy; craniofacial reconstruction.
- Paleopathology: occupational signs, trauma, infections, metabolic diseases, nutritional deficits, neoplastic diseases.
- Study of inhumations, cremations, and mummies.
- Hints of forensic anthropology: identification of skeletal remains, diagnosis of cause of death, signs of injury, and time of death.
- Concepts of recovery and restoration of skeletal remains.
- Paleodemography and paleoepidemiology.
- Identification of historical figures.
-Musealization of skeletal remains.
- Skeletal collections
Prerequisites for admission
No special knowledge required
Teaching methods
The course is delivered by face-to-face teaching, seminars, case analysis and a series of exercises in the anatomical room. From this academic year, the set of ppts and readings for the course on Ariel will be available.
Teaching Resources
Antropologia e odontologia forense. Guida allo studio dei resti umani. Testo atlante, Grandi Cattaneo 2005, Monduzzi editore
- Atlas of human osteology (any)
- Biehler Gomez, Cattaneo 2020, Interpreting Bone Lesions and Pathology for Forensic Practice, Academic Press
- Materials and readings on ariel
- Atlas of human osteology (any)
- Biehler Gomez, Cattaneo 2020, Interpreting Bone Lesions and Pathology for Forensic Practice, Academic Press
- Materials and readings on ariel
Assessment methods and Criteria
The examination is oral with the inclusion of a practical test consisting of the identification of osteological fragments. There are no pre-appeals and no test aid materials are given; notification of the outcome of the exam will take place concurrently with the end of the exam.
Educational website(s)
Professor(s)