Human Osteoarchaeology

CIfA Human Osteology Group logo
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Membership is free to CIfA members through the Members area login. Those who are not members of the institute will need to pay an annual £10 fee and can join here.

Committee
Interim Chair
Samantha Tipper
Secretary
Ceri Falys
Committee member
Kirsty Squires
Committee member
Sabrina Ki
Committee member
Heidi Dawson-Hobbis
Committee member
Jenny Mikkelsen
Committee member
Milena Grzybowska
Committee member
Rachel Ives
Committee member
Aoife McCaughey
Advisor
Sharon Clough
Specialist competence matrix

This specialist matrix is to assist applicants and the Validation committee to see where you demonstrate the grade applied for when working in Osteology.

Human Osteoarchaeology Special Interest Group represents the interests of professionals who work or have an interest in the area of osteoarchaeology and burial studies. We aim to promote standards and good practice for the excavation, treatment, conservation, analysis and curation of human remains and funerary archaeology from the historic environment.

Osteobites talks

Throughout 2025, we will be running our Osteobites series of short talks followed by questions and discussion.

The next session will be held at 18:30 until 19:30 on Wednesday 23 April 2025, and will feature a talk by Human Skeletal Biologist, Dr Sarah Stark - Biomolecular Archaeology in the Threat-Led Sector: Updates on Historic England’s Commission Programme.

To register to attend April’s talk or for more information, visit the Osteobites booking page

The first session was held on Thursday 30 January 2025 and featured a talk by Tom Booth - Ancient DNA for Archaeologists: What it Can and Can’t Do and Why. To view the recording, visit CIfA’s YouTube channel

Publications

Events

Event date

To assess the pubertal stage, seven individual osteological markers have been developed, including the extent of the development of the mandibular canine root and hook of hamate, fusion epiphyses of the hand phalanges, distal radius and humerus, and proximal ulna, the presence and fusion of the iliac crest epiphysis, and the morphology of the cervical vertebral body. A recording form has been developed to summarize the assessment criteria, to ease the application of the techniques. A summary table has also been developed to aid in the estimation of the stage of puberty the individual was experiencing, as well as an indication of the physical changes the body was undergoing at the time of death.

The aim of the session is to inform attendees about the use of x-rays in osteoarchaeology. With a particular emphasis on pathology and how these can be observed with the use of x-rays.