The recipient of the 2013 Tri-Delta Teacher Appreciation Award, Danielle Kurin, PhD, is an former assistant professor- and later tenured associate professor-- of bioarchaeology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Danielle Kurin has conducted several studies at various archaeological sites (mainly in Peru and Bolivia) and has also written papers on various archeological topics, including prehistoric life in ancient periods. She performs both on-site and laboratory analysis of skeletal remains.
Some human remains still hold substantial preserved portions of mineralized parts (bones, teeth) of the deceased. To archaeologists, this means a great deal of information about the deceased - such as their age, sex, health, likely cause of death, the period of death, and more. Archeologists can conduct multiple studies on remains, some of which involve lab testing and the use of special technologies. However, just by taking a closer at the bones and teeth, they can tell the age of the deceased, sex, and some other information. To determine sex, archaeologists often analyze the pelvis and skull since these are the two most important parts for sex determination. Often, females have a wider pelvis, which is important for childbirth. There is also a pelvic structure called ventral arc, which is explicitly found in females. In addition, some complex features of the pelvis that play an important role - these include a broader sciatic notch, wider subpubic angle, and a well-defined subpubic concavity. By looking at the skull, archeologists may assess several areas, including the forehead and eye socket: Frontal bone (forehead): Female skulls usually have rounded frontal bone, while those of males are less rounded and often slope backward. Also, the brow ridge (at the base of the forehead) is usually more prominent in males compared to females. Eye Socket: Females often have round eye sockets with sharp edges along the upper borders. On the contrary, most males have square-like orbits with blunter upper border edges.
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AuthorDanielle Kurin - Award-Winning Educator and Researcher. Archives
June 2023
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