Human Osteoarchaeology

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Committee
Interim Chair
Samantha Tipper
Vice-chair
Heidi Dawson-Hobbis
Secretary
Kirsty Squires
Committee member
Sabrina Ki
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.

Osteology (PDF | 175.33 KB)
Three year plan

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.

Human Osteoarchaeology SIG conference Call for Papers

We are hosting a conference on Saturday October 18 2025 and will focus on dissemination of human osteoarchaeological findings, new projects, case studies, fieldwork, methods and research networking.

Do you have a project that you would like to present? We are inviting proposals for 15 minute papers and also for a student 5 slides in 5 minute session.

To submit a session simply complete the Microsoft proposal form which can be found here 

https://forms.office.com/e/rHz7UG8DMw 

The deadline is 17:00 on Thursday 31 July 2025. We will respond to proposals by August 18 2025 to let you know if your abstract was accepted.

Human Osteoarchaeology Osteobites online 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 Thursday 31 July 2025. This session will feature a talk by Dr Claire Hodson, Lecturer in Bioarchaeology from Durham University titled 'Through infancy and beyond; The importance and potential of non-adult osteology.' We encourage you to sign up so you don't miss out!

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

Previous Osteobites recordings

Osteobites - Biomolecular Archaeology in the Threat-Led Sector - 23 April 2025

Osteobites - Ancient DNA for Archaeologists: What it Can and Can’t Do and Why - 30 January 2025

Group publications and newsletters
CIfA OsteoSIG Group - Newsletter - January 2025 (PDF | 551.84 KB)

In 2019, we provided a workshop that offered theoretical and hands-on training in the use of new osteological methods to identify stages of puberty in human skeletal remains. Exciting new avenues of research into the archaeology of adolescence were discussed, along with how osteoarchaeologists working in the commercial sector could contribute to future studies. Participants had the opportunity to apply the methods to skeletal remains and evaluate the stage of puberty, under the guidance of the co-creator of the techniques, Dr. Mary Lewis.

A recording form was developed to summarize the assessment criteria and ease the application of the techniques. A summary table was also created to aid in estimating the stage of puberty the individual was experiencing, as well as to indicate the physical changes the body was undergoing at the time of death. Both can be downloaded below.

Falys and Lewis - Puberty Status Recording Form

Falys and Lewis - Revised Puberty Assessment Table

Group meeting minutes and documents