Category Archives: Bioarchaeology Vocab

Standard Anatomical Position

Posted on August 29, 2017 by JB

Bioarchaeological labs can be confusing places. Witness the following interaction, which takes place at least once a season: Bioarch 1: “This fragment’s a humerus, right?” Bioarch 2: [Examines bone] “No, it’s a left.” Bioarch 1: “But it’s humerus?” Bioarch 2: … Continue reading →

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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

Calculus

Posted on August 31, 2016 by JB

In July I had all four of my wisdom teeth removed, which I bore with about as much stoicism as could be expected: After the first terrible week of scrambled eggs, applesauce, and facial bruising, I regained some of my … Continue reading →

Posted in Bioarchaeology Vocab, Teeth | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

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 →

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Abduction and Adduction

Posted on September 2, 2015 by JB

I always have a great time when I teach the anatomical terminology of  movement because students find it so easy to engage with the material. In my Science of Skeletons class I began experimenting with a charades-style activity that required … Continue reading →

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Supination

Posted on July 6, 2015 by JB

I recently started teaching my first self-designed course at the University of Michigan, an intro to bioarchaeology class titled The Science of Skeletons. We had our first meeting last Thursday, and in addition to demonstrating the appropriate way to handle human … Continue reading →

Posted in Anatomy, Bioarchaeology Vocab, Osteology | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Splanchnocranium

Posted on June 25, 2015 by JB

I’ve been reading a lot of research on the bioarchaeology of violence of late, thought-provoking  pieces by Haagen Klaus, Deb Martin and Gwen Robbins Schug that detail the ways in which the ideology of oppression is mediated by violence. In theory, this … Continue reading →

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Caries

Posted on June 12, 2015 by JB

One of the little known benefits of studying ancient human teeth is that during my weeks or months of analyzing skeletal remains, I suddenly become EXTREMELY CONCERNED about my own dental health. Brushing twice daily, flossing, gargling with mouth wash, you name it … Continue reading →

Posted in Bioarchaeology Vocab, Human Teeth | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Nutrient foramen

Posted on May 27, 2015 by JB

A nutrient foramen is a small, smooth-walled hole for blood vessels found on the external surface of a bone. Size-wise these tend to be in the range of what you’d expect if you poked the tip of a pen through the … Continue reading →

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

Glenoid fossa

Posted on May 22, 2015 by JB

The term glenoid fossa can refer to a smooth indentation on either the scapula or the temporal bone. On the scapula, the glenoid fossa is located on the lateral side of the bone. It comprises a smooth, oval, and lightly indented surface … Continue reading →

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