What is the course about?
This course will let you discover how much we can learn about persons and societies by only looking at human remains. We will also explore whether all skeletons really are the same and what this means.
This is a live online course. You will need:
- Internet connection. The classes work best with Chrome.
- A computer with microphone and camera is best (e.g. a PC/laptop/iMac/MacBook), or a tablet/iPad/smart phone/iPhone if you don't have a computer.
- Earphones/headphones/speakers.
We will contact you with joining instructions before your course starts.
What will we cover?
• Short introduction to skeletal anatomy.
• What is biological profile of a person and how to build one?
• What an individual person can tell us about a whole population.
• What diseases or traumas they suffered?
• Can we tell how they died?
• And what happened to them after death?
• Most importantly, can we tell how they lived?
• Case studies.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
• Identify the main fields of osteology
• Identify the main bones of a human skeleton
• Understand the variation of human skeletons
• Understand the methods used to build a biological profile (sex, age, stature, ancestry)
• Discuss the limitations of those methods
• Explain how learning about an individual can help us shape a view on society.
• Understand how lifestyles, work, diet, and diseases affect your skeleton
• Name some of the processes that influence bones after death
• Understand how that information can be used for solving mysteries of the past or modern crimes.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This is an introductory level course and is open to all. No prior knowledge of the subject is required but you’ll need a good grasp of English to keep up with the course and be able to participate in the discussions.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
You will be taught in several ways including presentation with visual examples, discussion and on-screen exercises.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
Bring pen and notepad if you wish to take noets. There are no extra costs.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
You might be interested in
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HS255 Skeletons talk: Secrets revealed by bones
HS256 How can archaeolgy help solve murders? The princples of forensic anthropology
Please also check our Science and nature section for other courses.
