The Mega-Osteology Program from the Neolithic Tombs of Lisbon will use the osteological remains from several burials from the region of the Estremadura in Portugal. These collections are currently stored at the Museu Nacional de Arqueologia http://www.mnarqueologia-ipmuseus.pt/  (National Museum for Archaeology) located at Lisbon, by the Monastery of Jerónimos. This internship will focus namely on the skeletal remains from the Late Neolithic rock cut tombs of Carenque and Baútas. The information obtained from these studies will be used to expand and enhance the knowledge of the Neolithic and Late Neolithic societies.

This is the 9th annual program which has already studied several other collections from this region and neighbouring areas. Past participants have reported back that this program was both challenging and rewarding and that the training that they received during the course of their stay allowed them to continue on in their research on a more independent manner and on an advanced level.

Graduate students and undergraduates serious about pursuing a career in bioarchaeology, physical anthropology and archaeology are encouraged to apply. All applications will be considered. Program will run for 6 weeks - 2 three week sessions.

Students will be given more latitude and independent workloads in this internship program and are expected to be already familiar with the basic principles and methodologies of osteology and/or dental anthropology. Students will begin by cleaning, cataloging and inventorying the various collections which are comprised of hundreds of bones and teeth.

Participants will get the chance to work with collections with multiple individuals and will learn how to determine the minimum number of individuals, sex, age and pathologies in mass burial conditions. This internship will also deal with dental anthropology and morphology, the description and classification of teeth as well as the various pathologies that are evident in teeth.