Greeting witches! This episode Emily Curtin discusses all things Bioarchaeology with Jess and Av. We dive into the history of the discipline, discuss the differences between Bioarchaeology and Forensic Anthropology, while briefly touching on the ethical differences across countries, and discuss current trends in bioarchaeological literature. Your coven leaders discuss their own experiences and hopes for the future of the field.

Stay Spooky Friends :)

Check us out on social media at @thecasketcoven for more updates and to learn about this episode's grim cocktail.

Artwork by Maddy Martin (insta: @maddy.martin) and Jessica Elkins.

Research by Emily Curtin.

Sound Edited and Mixed by Av Lauren Lindsay

CC0 Content Music Used: "Under Her Spell" by Melody Ayres-Griffiths

References:

Buikstra, J. E., DeWitte, S. N., Agarwal, S. C., Baker, B. J., Bartelink, E. J., Berger, E., Blevins,

K. E., Bolhofner, K., Boutin, A. T., Brickley, M. B., Buzon, M. R., de la Cova, C.,

Goldstein, L., Gowland, R., Grauer, A. L., Gregoricka, L. A., Halcrow, S. E., Hall, S. A.,

Hillson, S., Kakaliouras, A. M., Klaus, H. D., Knudson, K. J., Knüsel, C. J., Larsen, C. S.,

Martin, D. L., Milner, G. R., Novak, M., Nystrom, K. C., Pacheco-Forés, S. I., Prowse, T.

L., Robbins Schug, G., Roberts, C. A., Rothwell, J. E., Santos, A. L., Stojanowski, C.,

Stone, A. C., Stull, K. E., Temple, D. H., Torres, C. M., Toyne, J. M., Tung, T. A., Ullinger, J., Wiltschke-Schrotta, K., & Zakrzewski, S. R. (2022). Twenty-first century bioarchaeology: Taking stock and moving forward. Yearbook Biological Anthropology, 178(Suppl. 74), 54–114. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.24494

DeWitte, S.N., Stojanowski, C.M. The Osteological Paradox 20 Years Later: Past Perspectives,

Future Directions. J Archaeol Res 23, 397–450 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10814-015-9084-1

Killgrove, Kristina (2013). Bioarchaeology. obo in Anthropology. Doi:

10.1093/obo/9780199766567-0121

Krieger, William H. (2012). Processual Archaeology. obo in Anthropology. doi:

10.1093/obo/9780199766567-0056

Larsen, C. S. (1997). Introduction. In Bioarchaeology: Interpreting Behavior from the Human

Skeleton. Cambridge University Press.

Passalacqua, N.V.; Pilloud, M.A.; Congram, D. Forensic Anthropology as a Discipline. Biology

2021, 10, 691. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/biology10080691

White, T.D. and Folkens, P.A. (2005) ETHICS IN OSTEOLOGY. The Human Bone Manual Elsevier. 21–30.

Content Warning: This podcast discusses human skeletal remains and may be distressing to some listeners. Listener discretion advised.

Greetings witches! Our story begins as many often do: at the beginning. Your casket coven hosts Emily Curtin, Jessica Elkins, and Av Lauren Lindsay discuss their past experiences, current interests, and future hopes and goals, as well as consider the field that brought them together: Human Osteology and Paleopathology.

Av (beginning 1:00) received her bachelors in Canada at the University of British Columbia in Anthropology and Classical, Near Eastern, and Religious studies focusing on Near East Studies and Egyptology.

Emily (beginning 20:26) began her journey in the United States at the University of California Berkeley Anthropology department, where she majored in Integrative Biology with an emphasis on human physiology and Anthropology with a minor in Classical Civilizations with an emphasis on Greek and Roman Studies.

Jess (beginning 33:00) attended the British University of Bradford where she majored in Forensic Sciences alongside several of the individuals that would make up their master’s cohort.

The girls’ paths crossed for the first time at the University of Bradford where they studied for their masters in Human Osteology and Paleopathology, affectionately deemed HOP by the university and students, as the 2024 graduating cohort. The girls each talk about their backgrounds that led them to their MSc dissertations and where they are now post graduation and more.

Stay Spooky Friends :)

Check us out on social media at @thecasketcoven for more updates and to learn about this episode's grim cocktail.

Artwork by Maddy Martin (insta: @maddy.martin) and Jessica Elkins.

Sound Edited and Mixed by Av Lauren Lindsay

CC0 Content Music Used: "Under Her Spell" by Melody Ayres-Griffiths

Content Warning: This podcast discusses human skeletal remains and may be distressing to some listeners. Listener discretion advised.

Listener discretion advised!! This episode describes graphic descriptions of human decomposition that may be distressing or inappropriate for some listeners.

Greetings witches! This episode Av Lauren Lindsay digs into taphonomy and burials, including the intricacies of flesh and bone decomposition.

After developing a baseline for our understanding of typical burials, Av discusses some atypical burials including mummies from Scotland and bog bodies from Sweden. Emily pipes in and touches on the odd process of saponification, which causes a person to turn into soap! ?

Stay Spooky Friends :)

Check us out on social media at @thecasketcoven for podcast updates.

Artwork by Maddy Martin (insta: @maddy.martin) and Jessica Elkins.

Sound Edited and Mixed by Av Lauren Lindsay

CC0 Content Music Used: "Under Her Spell" by Melody Ayres-Griffiths

Research by Av Lauren Lindsay and Emily Curtin.

References:

Behrensmeyer, A. K. (2021). Taphonomy. Encyclopedia of Geology (Second Edition).

Bell, L.S., Skinner, M.F. and Jones, S.J. (1996) The speed of post mortem change to the human skeleton and its taphonomic significance. Forensic Science International 82 (2), 129–140.

Booth, T.J., Chamberlain, A.T. and Pearson, M.P. (2015) Mummification in Bronze Age Britain. Antiquity 89 (347), 1155–1173.

Carey, J. (2021) Bogged Down: Human Preservation and Decomposition. Using Forensic Scoring Methods to Assess Three Bog Bodies from Denmark, England & Ireland. Master’s Dissertation, University of Lund, Sweden; 1–136.

Clarkey, A. (2012, March 23). Haraldskær Woman. Atlas Obscura.

Frei, K.M., Mannering, U., Price, T.D. and Iversen, R.B. (2015) Strontium isotope investigations of the Haraldskær Woman – a complex record of various tissues. ArchéoSciences 39, 93–101.

Lyman, R. L. (2010). What taphonomy is, what it isn’t, and why taphonomists should care about the

difference. Journal of Taphonomy, 8(1), 1-16.

Pearson, M.P., Chamberlain, A., Craig, O., Marshall, P., Mulville, J., Smith, H., Chenery, C., Collins, M., Cook, G., Craig, G., Evans, J., Hiller, J., Montgomery, J., Schwenninger, J.-L., Taylor, G. and Wess, T. (2005) Evidence for mummification in Bronze Age Britain. Antiquity 79 (305), 529–546.

Pokines, J. T., & Baker, J. E. (2021). Effects of burial environment on osseous remains. In Manual of

forensic taphonomy (pp. 103-162). CRC Press.

Pokines, J. T., L'Abbe, E. N., & Symes, S. A. (Eds.). (2021). Manual of forensic taphonomy. CRC press.

The chemistry of the bog bodies. (n.d.). National Museum of Denmark. Retrieved April 19, 2025.

Thiébaut, C., Coumont, M. P., & Averbouh, A. (2010). The taphonomic approach: an archaeological

necessity. In Mise en commun des approaches en taphonomie. Actes du workshop nº 16-XVe Congress International de (pp. 21-28).

Turner‐Walker, G., Nielsen‐Marsh, C.M., Syversen, U., Kars, H. and Collins, M.J. (2002) Sub‐micron spongiform porosity is the major ultra‐structural alteration occurring in archaeological bone. International Journal of Osteoarchaeology 12 (6), 407–414.

Content Warning: This podcast discusses human skeletal remains and may be distressing to some listeners. Listener discretion advised.