Category Archives: Bioarchaeology

SAA 2017 – Manipulated Bodies: Investigating Postmortem Interactions with Human Remains

Posted on April 5, 2017 by JB

I’m currently in Vancouver, spending a few extra days in the city after attending the 2017 Society for American Archaeology meetings. At the moment I’ve been waylaid by a merciless head cold, but you don’t have to be at the … Continue reading →

Posted in Bioarchaeology, Conferences, Travel | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Wolff’s Law

Posted on February 9, 2017 by JB

Ever heard the expression “use it or lose it”? That pithy phrase encapsulates Wolff’s law, an anatomical rule that describes how bone grows and changes over time. The law was developed by German surgeon Julius Wolff, whose name you will now always remember … Continue reading →

Posted in Bioarchaeology, Bioarchaeology Vocab, Osteology | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Recent Publications

Posted on November 1, 2016 by JB

As an academic, one of my favorite moments is when I receive proofs for a new article – it’s a feeling up there with freshly laundered sheets, cookies warm from the oven, and waking up to the smell of frying bacon. That’s why I … Continue reading →

Posted in Bioarchaeology, Publications | 3 Comments

AAPAs 2016 – Atlanta

Posted on April 14, 2016 by JB

[TL;DR version of post: I’m presenting a poster on some of my collaborative Iberian research at the AAPAs tomorrow. Session 31 (Skeletal Biology: Bioarchaeology), docket 19, Atrium Ballroom A/B. I’ll be there from 4:00-4:45 – come say hi!] Another day, … Continue reading →

Posted in Bioarchaeology, Conferences | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Bioarchaeology Outreach Activities

Posted on November 25, 2015 by JB

A few weeks ago the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History hosted Archaeology Day, a biannual event during which local middle school classes visit the museum and participate in different activity stations scattered throughout the building. This year, Abagail Breidenstein … Continue reading →

Posted in Bioarchaeology, Outreach | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Part of the Family: Age, Identity and Burial in Copper Age Iberia

Posted on November 10, 2015 by JB

I don’t spend a vast amount of time on the blog talking about my own bioarchaeological research in Iberia, in part because it already consumes so much of the rest of my life, and in part because it is rarely an … Continue reading →

Posted in Bioarchaeology, Publications | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Four-Field Talk Tomorrow: Bare Bones?

Posted on November 8, 2015 by JB

The department that I’m part of is a four-field anthropology department, meaning that it contains archaeologists, cultural anthropologists, linguistic anthropologists, and biological anthropologists. Four-field approaches are valuable because they encompass the whole scope of human cultural practices and behaviors, examining … Continue reading →

Posted in Bioarchaeology, Talks | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Isotopes

Posted on October 20, 2015 by JB

In essence, isotopes are different varieties of the same kind of element. Their atoms have the same number of protons but variable numbers of neutrons, meaning that they differ from each other in terms of their atomic weight. For example, carbon-12, … Continue reading →

Posted in Bioarchaeology, Bioarchaeology Vocab | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Piecing together the puzzle: Brown bag at UMMAA

Posted on October 1, 2015 by JB

I’ll be giving a talk today at noon at the University of Michigan Museum of Anthropological Archaeology. The talk will take place in the Ruthven Museum of Natural History, Room 2009. If you attend, you’ll also get to hear from … Continue reading →

Posted in Bioarchaeology, Talks | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Anthropology Teaching Tips: Playdoh

Posted on September 28, 2015 by JB

As you may have garnered from the radio silence that blanketed the blog for week-long periods this summer, in July and August I solo taught my first self-designed course. Now, at this point in my academic career, I have a … Continue reading →

Posted in Bioarchaeology, Osteology, Teaching | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment