Why Study Bones?

The study of human bones and teeth is very important to physical anthropology. There are three main areas of research in which knowledge of the human skeleton is often applied.

The first is forensic anthropology, recently popularized by TV shows such as Bones and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Forensic anthropologists use scientific methods developed in physical anthropology to aid law enforcement officials in legal or crminal investigations. Experts in this field examine human bones and teeth with the goal of extracting as much information as possible about recently deceased (dead) personsand about the circumstances surrounding their deaths.

The other two research areas in which knowledge of the human skeleton is commonly applied are historical (or relate to the past). Paleoanthropology ("paleo" refers to something old) is the study of ancient humans from fossilized bones and teeth. Researchers in this field are interested in determining who our ancestors were and then, how, and why they evolved. Bioarchaeologists, on the other hand, study human skeletal remains from the more recent archaeological sites. This may include 3,000 year old mummies from Ancient Egypt or human bones recovered from Aztec cities in Mexico dating to only a few hundred years ago. It also includes the skeletal remains that I will be studying while in Swaziland (more to come!).

Because the bones and teeth of the skeleton do not decompose as easily as the soft tissues (such as skin and muscle) they provide the most lasting record of an indvidual's existence. It is possible to estaimate an indvidual's age, sex, ancestry (or "race") and stature (or height) from their bones and teeth. It is also sometimes possible to identify diseases or injuries (such as broken bones) an indvidual may have suffered in life. Skeletal evidence also has the potential to provide information on prehistoric cultural behaviors, such as burial customs and diet.