This book presents an exploration of the methodologies and theoretical frameworks involved in the analysis of commingled human remains, featuring twelve case studies (plus an introduction and conclusion) that highlight the complexities of these assemblages. Both intentional and unintentional commingling present significant challenges and opportunities within bioarchaeology and forensic anthropology, making this topic increasingly relevant in contemporary research.
Building on previous works, Commingled and Disarticulated Human Remains (2014) and Theoretical Approaches to Analysis and Interpretation of Commingled Human Remains (2016) (both published with Springer), this updated work serves as a critical resource for scholars, offering insights into the application of methodologies and theoretical models explored in earlier volumes. The case studies not only reflect current practices but also project future directions for the analysis of commingled remains over the next decade. This book, like those that came before it on this topic, will be an excellent reference for researchers and practitioners seeking to deepen their understanding of the intricacies of commingled remains and their implications in both academic and applied settings.
Table of Contents:
Chapter 1. Introduction (Osterholtz and Porter).- Chapter 2. Virtual Anthropology Approaches to Sorting Commingled Remains (Litavec).- Chapter 3. The Use of Portable X-Ray Fluorescence to Resolve Commingled Assemblages of Human Remains (Smith).- Chapter 4. Commingled Human Remains Analysis: A Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency perspective (Taylor, Brown, LeGarde and Rajabi).- Chapter 5. Identifying Depositional Processes: Spatial Analysis of Commingled Remains at Sacred Ridge (Osterholtz and Miller).- Chapter 6. Sex Estimation in Commingled Skeletal Contexts: an Evaluation of Multiple Sex Estimation Methods in the Northern Iberian Peninsula (Bonthorne, Zurek-Ost, and Loe).- Chapter 7. Exploring Individual Life Histories in Commingled Remains: Evidence for Diet and Metabolic Stress in Temporal Context at the Medieval Đurđevac-Sošice Site, Croatia (Temple, Cronkhite, Osterholtz, Valent, and France).- Chapter 8. Interpreting Burned Commingled Ancestral Remains in the American Southwest (Freiberger).- Chapter 9. Demographic Profile of a Commingled Assemblage from Durango, Mexico (Edmonds, Freiberger, Stansbury, and Byrnes).- Chapter 10. The Sum of their Parts: Excavation and Inventory of Isolated Commingled Remains Alongside Partially Articulated Individuals at Diablo Wasi, Peru (Anzellini, Toyne, Ribera-Torró).- Chapter 11. Defining Excavation and Analytical Strategy in Large Scale Ossuary Assemblages (Bonthorne, Zurek-Ost, de Tarazaga).- Chapter 12. Hidden in the Crowd: Juvenile Lives in Byzantine Commingled Contexts of the Southern Levant (Chisdock and Sheridan).- Chapter 13. Patterns in Pieces: A Multi-scalar Approach to Violence and Cranial Trauma (Porter).- Chapter 14. Conclusion: Commingled Remains as an Opportunity for Interpretation and Innovation (Porter and Osterholtz).
About the Author :
Anna Osterholtz is an Associate Professor of Anthropology in the Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures at Mississippi State University and a Senior Research Associate at the Cobb Institute of Archaeology. Her research expertise is in bioarchaeology and mortuary archaeology, with a particular focus on the application of the Poetics model to mortuary contexts. In addition to her work on the Poetics model, Dr. Osterholtz has helped to develop best practices for the analysis and interpretation of commingled human remains, particularly from ossuary and massacre assemblages. In recent years, her research has also expanded to investigate the role of lead consumption, health, and age at death during the Roman period in Croatia, a project for which she received a Wenner-Gren grant in collaboration with Mario Novak at the Institute for Anthropological Research in Zagreb. Dr. Osterholtz has conducted fieldwork and lab-based research across the Americas (US Southwest), Europe (Croatia, Cyprus, and Romania), and the Middle East (UAE), exploring the intricate relationships between the living and the dead. She has edited or co-edited five volumes and authored or co-authored over twenty peer-reviewed articles. Currently, she serves on the editorial board of the Bioarchaeology and Social Theory series published by Springer and is an associate editor for the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology.
