Written in the Bones: an Introduction to Biological Anthropology

Step into the teaching lab and experience biological anthropology firsthand. In this interactive, hands-on session, educators will explore how biological anthropologists use the human skeleton to investigate the past and build biological profiles from skeletal remains. Working with casts from our teaching collection, participants will try fundamental techniques for estimating age and sex and see how skeletal evidence can—and cannot—be interpreted.

Designed as a preview of our high school outreach lab, this session offers educators an opportunity to experience the kind of hands-on learning available to visiting student groups. Participants will leave with a better understanding of human osteology, the complexities of interpreting skeletal variation, and what their students can expect when they visit our lab.