Location: Athens, Greece
Season: June 8, 2026 to June 12, 2026
Session Dates: June 8-12, 2026
Application Deadline: January 15, 2026
Deadline Type: Exact Date
Program Type:
Field School
RPA Certified:
No
Affiliation:
American School of Classical Studies at Athens
Project Director:
Dr. Ioanna Moutafi
Project Description:
The Malcolm H. Wiener Laboratory for Archaeological Science of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens is offering an intensive week-long course in bioarchaeology to introduce participants to the analysis of human skeletal remains from archaeological contexts. Dr. Ioanna Moutafi, of the Institut für Vor- und Frühgeschichtliche Archäologie und Provinzialrömische Archäologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and expert in bioarchaeology and Aegean prehistory, will lead the course with assistance from Dr. Dimitris Michailidis, an anthropologist/paleontologist and Manager of the Wiener Laboratory. Human bones are a unique strand of archaeological evidence, as they provide a vast array of both biological and cultural information about life and death in the past. This course will offer both the theoretical and basic technical skills for the analysis and interpretation of human remains, through lectures, seminars and interactive hands-on practical sessions. The objective is to familiarize participants with all aspects of the human skeleton and the different insights they can offer us into the past.
The course will explore key themes in bioarchaeology, such as:
• Human skeletal anatomy – bone identification
• Estimation of sex and age-at-death
• Skeletal variation
• Dealing with commingled human remains
• Paleopathology
• Nutrition and diet
• Current biomolecular advances (a-DNA, stable isotopes)
• Bones in context: social bioarchaeology and funerary archaeology
A maximum of 12 participants will be accepted for the course. Preference is given to graduate and advanced undergraduate students with an interest in archaeological science, bioarchaeology, and funerary archaeology. The course is also ideal for professional archaeologists or museum curators who may occasionally need to work with human remains. This course is not geared toward people with significant experience in human osteology or bioarchaeology. No prior experience in human osteology is required.
The course will take place from June 8-12, 2026.
Project Size: 1-24 participants
Minimum Length of Stay for Volunteers: Full term
Minimum Age: 18
Room and Board Arrangements:
Training fee is 500 euros ($550 USD) for the entire course. Accommodation is not provided, but we will offer recommendations and assistance to course participants in order to arrange accommodation themselves.
Academic Credit:
Inquire about course credit.
