ANTHRO 588: FIELD AND LABORATORY METHODS IN BIOARCHAEOLOGY AND FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY

Location: Amherst, MA

Season: May 19, 2025 to July 1, 2025

Session Dates: May 19 – July 1, 2025 (Class will run M-F, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with no class on Memorial Day & Juneteenth)

Application Deadline: March 28, 2024

Deadline Type: Rolling

Website: https://www.umass.edu/bioarchaeology/index.html

Program Type:
Field School

RPA Certified:
No

Affiliation:
University of Massachusetts Amherst

Project Director:
Dr. Ventura Pérez

Project Description:

Course Description:
This course introduces students to the role of the biological anthropologist, archaeologist and forensic scientist in excavations of human remains. This field school is particularly unique because we work in collaboration with the UMass Chan Medical School’s Division of Translational Anatomy and Anatomical Gift Program. Students will also receive lectures from experts in political science, federal Indian law, historical archaeology, the US State Department, and law enforcement.

The course will be divided into three units. The first unit will introduce students to field and laboratory techniques, including osteology, recognizing what constitutes bioarchaeological or forensic data, and violence theory. Students will participate in lectures and lab exercises at both UMass Amherst and at the UMass Chan Medical School. The second unit will consist of excavations of a pseudo-crime scene and pseudo-archaeological burial. The third unit will focus on laboratory techniques used to analyze the biological profile and write the lab report of the two excavation sites, as well as the design and build of the following year’s burial sites. Throughout the course we will explore key concepts in ethics, violence theory, socio-cultural constructs left on the body, repatriation, medicolegal death investigation and regulations regarding unmarked burials.

Enrollment is by permission of the instructor. Students wishing to enroll must apply by March 28, 2025.

Notes:
Title IX website: https://www.umass.edu/equalopportunity/titleix Position Statement The UMass Anthropology Bioarchaeology and Forensic Anthropology Field School is committed to providing an inclusive environment that is safe and free of discrimination, and upholds an equitable, and caring campus culture in compliance with Title IX policy and processes prohibiting sex-based discrimination in education. Please see the UMass Title IX policy: https://www.umass.edu/equalopportunity/titleix All students, instructors, and researchers must adhere to the UMass code of conduct to offer sustainable and collaborative practices, and policies prohibiting sexual harassment and misconduct, racism, ableism, and discrimination of any kind. For more information on UMass community standards, visit https://www.umass.edu/dean_students/codeofconduct. We comply and refer to the position statements outlined by the Society for American Archaeology, American Association of Biological Anthropology and American Association of Anthropology.

Project Size: 1-24 participants

Minimum Length of Stay for Volunteers: 6 weeks

Minimum Age: 18

Room and Board Arrangements:
https://www.umass.edu/living/assign/summersession

Academic Credit:
$500/credit @ 6 credits