This course focuses on the anatomy of the human skeleton and techniques in human identification: age-at-death, sex, stature, ancestry, pathology, trauma, stature, handedness and habitual behaviours. There is a very strong practical emphasis with two thirds of contact time spent in the skeletal laboratory. Acquired skills will be of value to any students interested in skeletal studies including vertebrate biology, comparative skeletal anatomy, medicine, palaeontology, fine arts, human and primate evolution, forensic sciences and archaeology.

Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to:

1. Meet the stipulated course aims
2. Become familiar and comfortable with a broad sample of scholarship in this disciplinary area
3. Augment their ability to think critically about basic assumptions and conceptual frameworks in this field
4. Develop skills in oral presentations, including debate, and in writing

Literature and practical assessments through the semester (50%) [Learning Outcomes 1-4]

Final practical/lab exams (50%) [Learning Outcomes 1-2]

This course is normally offered every year.

Class sessions require up to 3 hours per week on average across the semester, some of which will be delivered in block lab sessions.  Including private study requirements, the workload averages to ten hours per week.

12 units of 1000-level Archaeology (ARCH) or Biology (BIOL) courses.