ARCHSTN031 Osteology for archaeologists

Faculty of Philosophy and Science in Opava
Winter 2022
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
RNDr. Miriam Nývltová-Fišaková, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
RNDr. Miriam Nývltová-Fišaková, Ph.D.
Institute of Archaeology – Faculty of Philosophy and Science in Opava
Prerequisites
For undergraduate students
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
Course objectives
The aim of the course is to familiarize students with the basic methods of the field of archaeozoology, i.e. anatomical classification of bones, species identification of bones, age determination based on tooth abrasion and postcranial skeleton, etc., and also with the method documentation and excavation of animal skeletons at archaeological sites. Students will be taught the latest methods paleogenetics, stable isotope analysis to determine origins, migration, animal nutrition and palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. Further the possibilities of using the results of these analyzes for the reconstruction of the way of life of prehistoric inhabitants will be presented. Components the subject is a practical familiarization of students with osteological material.
Syllabus
  • 1. History. 2. Collection and laboratory processing of osteological material. 3. Basic anatomical concepts, Fundamentals of anatomy of the skull and teeth and fundamentals of anatomy of the skeleton of Pleistocene and holocost animals. 4. Basic differences in the structure of the skull and skeleton in humans and animals. 5. Archaeozoological processing. 6. Osteometry. 7. Sex of animals and man. 8. Determining the age of animals and humans. 9. Paleogenetics 10. Use of stable isotopes for the reconstruction of migrations, paleoecology and animal and human nutrition 11. Paleopathology. 12. Taphonomy. 13. Paleoecology and reconstruction of the appearance of animals and humans.
Literature
    required literature
  • Stloukal, M. (ed): Antropologie: příručka pro studium kostry, 510. Praha 1999.
  • Komárek, V. – Štěrba, O. – Fejfar, O.: Anatomie a embryologie volně žijících přežvýkavců. Praha 2001.
  • Komárek, V. – Dvorský, P. – Postníková, V. (eds.): Koldův atlas veterinární anatomie. Praha 1999.
    recommended literature
  • Schmid, E.: Atlas of animal bones: for prehistorians, archaeologists and quaternary geologists /Knochenatlas: für Prähistoriker, Archäologen und Quartärgeologen. Amsterdam 1972.
  • Reitz, E. J. – Wing, E. S.: Zooarchaeology. Cambridge 1999.
  • Albarella, U. – Rizzetto, M. – Russ, H. – Vickers, K. – Viner-Daniels, A.: The Oxford handbook of zooarchaeology. Oxford 2017.
Teaching methods
Lecture
Assessment methods
Credit. A written test and an oral examination, during which the student will identify bone fragments
Language of instruction
Czech
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
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