New Developments in the Bioarchaeology of Care ― Further Case Studies and Expanded Theory

The goal of this volume is to report on, evaluate, refine and expand existing concept and practice in the developing field of bioarchaeological research into health-related care provision in the past.

Most bioarchaeological analysis and health has been inferred from physical evidence in human remains indicating survival with or recovery from a disabling pathology. But the bones can also give a perspective on caregiving - a topic that many archaeologists have overlooked. In any community, who is 'healthy' and who is not is shaped by cultural norms, values and belief systems. It follows that where health-related care can be identified, it can offer unique insights into aspects of past life and social behavior.

Between an introduction to the existing 'bioarchaeology of care' approach and the Conclusion are 14 chapters with content raving from reports on primary research into instances of caregiving through to cases for new theoretical perspectives on this emerging cross-disciplinary area of scholarship.

These chapters are the work of an international, diverse and cross-disciplinary group of contributors, each of whom brings their own particular focus, style and expertise to analyzing part health-related provision. Together, these chapters create a synergy that challenges and extends our thinking around past health-related care behavior and about the implications of this behavior for understanding the wider social environment in which it took place. r>

Lorna Tilley came to archaeology with an honours degree in psychology and work experience in areas of health practice, health status and health outcomes assessment, and health policy development.? She she was awarded a Graduate Diploma in Archaeology from the Australian National University in 2006, and a PhD from the same institution in 2013.? She has been sole or primary author of several articles on the bioarchaeology of care approach; the first of these (Tilley and Oxenham 2011) was awarded Most Influential Paper (2011-2015) by the International Journal of Paleopathology in April 2015.? Her book Theory and Practice in the Bioarchaeology of Care (based on her PhD dissertation) was published by Springer in September 2015.

?

Alecia Schrenk has a MA in Bioarchaeology and is currently a Ph.D. student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Department of Anthropology. She has co-organized a symposium focusing on the Index of Care and furthering Bioarchaeology of Care methodology at the Society for American Archaeology 2015 Annual Meeting. She has recently published research on an 18-20 year old female with paraplegia from Bronze Age Tell Abraq, using isotopic analysis to give a perspective on the role that immigration and mobility may have on increased risk of disease and healthcare (Differential diagnosis of a progressive neuromuscular disorder using bioarchaeological and biogeochemical evidence from a bronze age skeleton in the UAE). Her research interests include paleopathology, bioarchaeology of care, the Index of Care, subadult health, and mortuary practices.