Digging Up Bones

by Don Brothwell

Every year hundreds of human skeletal remains are brought to the surface by engineering works, quarrying or planned archaeological exploration. These remains provide vital clues to unraveling man's antiquity--their position and location, relation to other remains, state of preservation and medical condition all provide important information on ancient man and his living environment. Inferences regarding length of life, nutritional standards, diseases and origin of injuries can all be made in bones that are thousands of years old. However, many of these features are open to interpretation and the information gained is only as good as the records and analysis made at that time. The purpose of this book is to describe the many techniques now available for the proper excavation, preparation and analysis of human skeletal remains, so that the most effective use can be made of them. As such it will prove invaluable to both amateur and professional archaeologists, students of anthropology and anatomy, and the layman who has an interest in this ancestors' modus vivendi.

Genres: Archaeology, Academic, Nonfiction

196 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

Recognized for his work in both human and animal paleopathology, Don Brothwell has interests in the broad field of the archaeological sciences, but particularly in human palaeoecology (which includes environmental archaeology). Currently based at the University of York in York, England, he is still active in the field despite his retirement and current research projects include an investigation of Mummies in the Yemen (with Stephen Buckley).

Reviews

[Rudolph Pascucci · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know of an archaeologist who doesn't have this one on their shelf or has not come across it at some point in their careers. If you are looking for an exciting story based on real life forensic cases this isn't the book. If you are looking for a well written, easy read, up to date overview of the analysis of skeletal material in an archaeological context, this isn't that book either. No, this one reads like a long scientific paper containing numerous citations to additional references in order to back up almost every point or idea presented (Smith, 1954). An interesting example of this method was offered by John Doe (Doe, 1935) and further expanded upon by Moe, Larry, and Curly in their seminal work on the subject (Cock-a-doodle Dumbbell, 1946). And so it goes (Vonnegut, 1969).

Alright, the book was first published back in 1961 and although revised roughly every ten years up through the 1990's still contains references to works as far back as 1885! I am sure that all of these references may be of use to the serious student who may be "digging" into this material but the casual reader should beware. The language and style of writing is also somewhat dated and the opening chapters on archaeological field methods are best described as obsolete. All that being said the book is worth the time for anyone, particularly amateur archaeologists and undergrads, interested in or needing a basic background and overview in just how human bones, excavated as part of an archaeological dig, are named, described, and measured. Another caution for the general reader: Brothwell uses a lot of scientific terminology in describing various aspects of the skeleton and those in fear of charts, graphs, and statistics may want to run screaming into the night as the reading progresses, so please get that through your external auditory meatus. There are also some interesting and very informative chapters regarding demographic analysis such as age, sex, and race as well as skeletal indicators of injury and disease. The author also presents an very good description of the use of the teeth in interpreting archaeological evidence. And throughout, the text is supported by a number of good illustrations and to a lesser degree photographs, the criticism there being the limitation to black and white photos that were taken using the best cameras available...during the 1950's.

Again, the book is now over twenty years out of date so the latest techniques and developments in the science are not to be found here. Forget DNA analysis. On the other hand, the basic terminology for bone description hasn't changed and the same techniques for measuring bones are still in use. Recommendation: Start here, understand that it is basically a soft cover text book, use it to obtain the basics, move on to more modern works on the subject (Pascucci, 2013).

[Alex Reborn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have underestimated the archaeology of the 20th century. The author uses references which are extremely old by today's account, but this shows the research questions from that period and the high interest for osteology.

Despite the title of the book being "Digging Up Bones", there was actually very little in here about the digging part. It was rather focused on the aftermath of the excavation, when bones are being observed and analyzed.

The third edition of the book, the one that I've read, was published in 1981. It may not discuss modern analysis and techniques, but I think the human anatomy stayed pretty much the same. It's quite good in presenting the main parts of osteology, from the anatomy of the skeleton to measurements, basic analysis and pathology.

The only "problem" I had with this book was that the author used specialized terminology right from the start and he continued with that vocabulary throughout the book. That's understandable, given the subject, but for beginners such as myself it can get a bit too much to search for so many words in a dictionary (aka Google). He goes into great detail and far away from the main bones, making it hard to follow sometimes. Perhaps some background knowledge in anatomy doesn't hurt.

I wouldn't say it was easy to read and I'm sure there are newer books on osteology which are more readable (I hope!), but I appreciate the insight I got on the beginning of osteology as a science.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great overviews from sexual dimorphism to odontology. I find, it is the book I go back to for in-depth, easy reading on the subject. Probably one of my favourite books.

[Lourdes · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a short book you can take on the field. I recommend William Bass's manuals instead.