Bi7360 Methodological approaches in historical anthropology

Faculty of Science
Autumn 2011
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 2 credit(s) (plus extra credits for completion). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. RNDr. Eva Drozdová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. RNDr. Jan Šmarda, CSc.
Department of Experimental Biology – Biology Section – Faculty of Science
Contact Person: doc. RNDr. Eva Drozdová, Ph.D.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 23 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The main objective of the course is introduction into anthropological methodology. The students will be introduced in methods whose allow on base of human skeletal remains to determinate biological traits of an individual. Aim of this course is not to teach to determinate basic anthropological characteristics as sex and age at death. This course further upgrades methodological knowledges received in lower levels of study. Excepting of overview of methodological approaches to human skeletal populations the methodological approach to mummified tissues (bodies) will be outlined in the course. The participants will be trained in interpreting and summarizing data received by given methodological approaches and to reconstruct various characters for whole populations.
Syllabus
  • 1. Introduction. Skeletal material - primary data source for studying biological traits in past populations.
  • 2. Reconstruction of demographic structure of skeletal population. Computing and interpreting of demographic tables. Reconstruction of population size.
  • 3. Assessment of body proportions. Evaluation of dimensions of skull and postcranial skeleton. Asymmetry of body. Artificial deformations of body parts.
  • 4. Essentials of palaeopathology. Palaeopathological methods. Differential diagnosis. Overview of most frequent pathological conditions. Parasitic diseases and their identification.
  • 5. Study of influence of physical stress on human skeletal system. Influence of profession and daily action on human skeleton. Stress induced pathological changes.
  • 6. Diet reconstruction. Methods: trace element analysis, analysis of stable isotopes of C and N, microabrasion of dental enamel. Predicative value of mentioned methods.
  • 7. Migrations. Methods of study – analysis of strontium isotopes, mitochondrial DNA haplotypes. Applicability these methods in various conditions.
  • 8. Study of kinship. Epigenetic traits at skeletal remains and dental traits. Positives and negatives of kinship studies based on epigenetic traits. Possibilities for using genetic methods. Limiting factors.
  • 9. Paleoserology. Determining of serological characteristics using classic AE and AI methods. Genetic methods for determining of blood groups. Positives and negatives of individual methodic approaches.
  • 10. Face reconstruction according skull. Graphical reconstruction, sculptural reconstruction. Advantages and disadvantages. Differences in face reconstruction at reconstruction of historical and recent material.
  • 11. Basic approaches in research of mummified bodies.
Literature
  • AUFDERHEIDE, Arthur C. The scientific study of mummies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003, xvii, 608. ISBN 0521818265. info
  • Biological anthropology : of the human skeleton. Edited by Mary Anne Katzenberg - Shelley Rae Saunders. New York: Wiley-Liss, 2000, xxiii, 504. ISBN 0471316164. info
  • CAPASSO, Luigi, Kenneth A. R. KENNEDY and Cynthia Ann WILCZAK. Atlas of occupational markers on human remains. Teramo: Edigrafital S.p.A., 1999, 183 s. ISBN 9788040178699. info
  • AUFDERHEIDE, Arthur C. and Conrado RODRÍGUES-MARTÍN. The Cambridge encyclopedia of human paleopathology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997, xviii, 478. ISBN 9781107403772. info
  • KNUSSMANN, Rainer. Vergleichenden Biologie des Menschen : Lehrbuch der Anthropologie und Humangenetik. 2. bearb. Aufl. Stuttgart: Gustav Fischer Verlag, 1996, xii, 524. ISBN 382740763X. info
Teaching methods
Lectures
Assessment methods
Oral exam.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2010 - only for the accreditation, Autumn 2009, Autumn 2010, Autumn 2011 - acreditation, Autumn 2013, Autumn 2014, Autumn 2015, Autumn 2016, autumn 2017, Autumn 2018, Autumn 2019, Autumn 2020, autumn 2021, Autumn 2022, Autumn 2023, Autumn 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2011, recent)
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