bioarchaeology

noun

bio·​ar·​chae·​ol·​o·​gy ˌbī-(ˌ)ō-ˌär-kē-ˈä-lə-jē 

: the scientific study of human biological remains (such as bones) from archaeological sites

Extrapolating from hard evidence drawn from human remains to conclusions about how people lived is at the heart of bioarchaeology …

—James Gorman, New York Times, 18 Dec. 2012

Most bioarchaeology studies tend to tell the tale of illness and death of people from a single site, such as a burial pit for plague victims or an ancient cemetery.

—Ann Gibbons, Science, 1 May 2009

bioarchaeological

ˌbī-(ˌ)ō-ˌär-kē-ə-ˈlä-ji-kəl 

adjective

bioarchaeological research

a bioarchaeological analysis

bioarchaeologist

ˌbī-(ˌ)ō-ˌär-kē-ˈä-lə-jist 

noun

plural bioarchaeologists

Word History

First Known Use

1972, in the meaning defined above

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