Adult Osteology Research Laboratory Workshop (Transylvania 2020) – Medieval Crisis Populations

The aim of this project is to evaluate how the major political events of the 16th and 17th centuries have physically impacted local Transylvanian populations. For that purpose, we have been studying human remains excavated from several medieval cemeteries from eastern Transylvania. During the summer of 2020, we will concentrate our efforts on analyzing the exceptionally well preserved skeletal remains excavated from the collapsed medieval „Lost Church” located in the community of Valeni/Patakfalva. The osteology workhop will train students to conduct osteological analyses and frame bioarchaeolgoical research questions.
The program is an intensive, in-depth, hands on laboratory workshop, focusing on research skill acquisition. This summer’s workshop is designed to conduct an exhaustive osteological survey of the adult population from our active Lost Church Medieval Cemetery Excavation. Although a basic knowledge of human anatomy and morphology is useful, this laboratory workshop session is intended for both inexperienced and advanced students. The workshop comprises daily intensive lectures on human anatomy (including determination of sex, age, stature and ancestry), biomechanics and pathology, bone quizzes, group discussions, laboratory work, bone restoration and analysis, leading to individual and group research projects and presentations in a conference setting.