Bioarchaeological advances in the Eastern Mediterranean

Date: 7 February 2024, 13:30 – 16:20

Location: Groningen Institute of Archaeology, Poststraat 6, 1212, 008
or online: to join the video meeting, click this link: https://meet.google.com/ydw-kvsb-rzj

Credits: 1 ECT

Advances in the field of bioarchaeology have long demonstrated the importance of human bones and teeth in the study of several strands of past human life in a variety of spatiotemporal contexts. During this half-day event we bring two prominent female researchers together to outline representative examples of bioarchaeological studies in the Eastern Mediterranean. As a strategic geographic location at the intersection of three continents, and with a rich and tumultuous history that witnessed the interaction of diverse civilizations, the Eastern Mediterranean is a prime region for bioarchaeological research. These masterclasses aim to showcase the potential of human osteology in the archaeology of the region and the importance of interdisciplinarity (archaeology, paleopathology, chemical analysis, and textual records) for a successful contribution to its social and environmental history. Special focus will be given on issues of social inequality (associated with structural violence and intersectionality), climate change, migration and other types of human mobility, as pressing contemporary topics with a long history in this region. Current limitations pertaining to national cultural heritage legislations, political turmoil but also the preservation of the remains and the contexts of their retrieval will also be discussed. The masterclass will conclude with a critical reflection of future research directions.

Programme:

Registration: 13:00-13:30

Welcome: 13:30-13:40

13:40-14:20 Dr Efthymia Nikita (STARC, The Cyprus Institute)

Masterclass I: The state of the art in bioarchaeological research in Greece and the Levant (chair: Dr Anna Moles)

Coffee break: 14:40-15:00

14:40-15:20 Dr Sarah Schrader (Leiden University)

Masterclass II: Current trends in Egyptian Bioarchaeology – past approaches and recent advances (chair: Dr Anna Moles)

15:20-16:00 Discussion / Closing remarks

 

Credits: ARCHON members can receive 1 ECT for attending the conference and handing in a reflection report of 3000 words on both the required reading and each masterclass. The report should focus on the potential of bioarchaeology in the Eastern Mediterranean and the importance the discipline holds for this area of the ancient world.

Required reading:

Sheridan, S. G. (2017). Bioarchaeology in the ancient Near East: Challenges and future directions for the southern Levant. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 162, 110-152.

Perry, M. A. (2007). Is bioarchaeology a handmaiden to history? Developing a historical bioarchaeology. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, 26(3), 486-515.

Registration: Register by sending an email to chryssavergidou@hotmail.com and inform the team about your name, institution or affiliation and if you are an ARCHON member.