Osteoarchaeology

Malin Holst and Paola Ponce from BioArCh also work in the commercial sector, at York Osteoarchaeology Ltd, specialising in the excavation and analysis of human skeletal remains. As such, bioarchaeology at York University is consistently up-to-date and has access to recently excavated skeletal assemblages for research projects.

Our people

Photo	Name	Role
	Malin Holst	Lecturer in Osteoarchaeology
	Dr Paola Ponce	Lecturer in Osteoarchaeology

Our skeletal collections

We curate large skeletal collections from different time periods, which are used for teaching and research projects. These populations offer the opportunity to study demography, stress, trauma and disease and cultural context.

Current skeletal collections include:

• Malmesbury Abbey, Wiltshire - A population of 68 skeletons from a late 12th to late 13th century graveyard, including males, females and non-adults with a variety of pathology, much of it which is age-related
• St James’s Abbey, Northampton - Nearly 300 skeletons from the medieval Augustinian Abbey of St James (1104-1538), some of which were of high status. Despite being monastic the assemblage also includes females and children.
• Baldock, Hertfordshire – 60 inhumations and 60 cremation burials from a Roman roadside settlement
• A range of skeletal assemblages - A number of smaller skeletal assemblages from a variety of sites and periods for teaching, including a number of non-adult skeletons and also bones with unusual pathology
• A range of commercially excavated skeletal collections - Recently excavated and commercially analysed skeletal populations can be available for research purposes ranging from the Neolithic to the post-medieval period
• Two specially designed laboratories at the PalaeoHub are used for research and teaching of human remains. We have a range of reference bone and dental casts, osteometric boards, calipers, microscopes, digital radiography facilities and cutting edge tools for morphometrics, imaging and functional simulation (the latter with HYMS).

To find out more contact Malin Holst or Paola Ponce, lecturers in Osteoarchaeology.