Our Juvenile Osteology Research Workshop is a more advanced continuation of the Adult Osteology Workshop. The aim of this workshop is to provide participants with an intensive review of juvenile osteology and an overview of the ways in which this kind of unique information is interpreted by bioarchaeologists.  During the workshop, participants will have the chance to study the growth and development of the human skeleton across various juvenile age cohorts, ranging from pre-natal to pre-adult. Most importantly, participants will have the opportunity to gain hands on experience with the analysis of exceptionally well  preserved juvenile skeletal remains.

          The aim of this project is to evaluate to what extent and how the major political events of the 16th and 17th centuries have impacted physically local populations, especially the children. During the 2013 season of our Osteology Workshops we uncovered a very interesting  and unique phenomenon: during the 17th century, the inside of some of the churches in the region of Odorheiu Secuiesc, in the heart of Transylvania (Romania), was dedicated to infant burials. Our initial study of the church in Teleac/Telekfakva showed one adult, 69 juveniles out of which 48 were of preterm or fetal age.

         During the next stage of the project, started in 2014, we started to address how the health of the children in the various cohorts, ranging from preterm to pre-adult, varies in this period of crisis. The very good preservation of the medieval osteological material and the high quality of the recovery during excavation provides a unique opportunity for a very intensive hands-on experience while working with juvenile osteological remains. Knowledge, both theoretical and practical, of the human anatomy and morphology is highly recommended (but not mandatory).

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           In addition to hands-on laboratory instruction, participants will also contribute to numerous seminar discussions and hear lectures on topics related to the bioarchaeology of children. The workshop comprises daily intensive lectures on infant anatomy and pathology, group discussions, laboratory work, bone restoration and analysis, leading to individual and group research projects and presentations as part of the Eleventh International Osteology and Bioarchaeology Student Colloquium in Odorheiu Secuiesc. Topical areas to be included involve the following subject areas: an overview of the bioarchaeology of children, growth and development, weaning and dietary stress, juvenile trauma and pathology, and reconstruction and interpretation of infant mortality.  Moreover, seminars and lectures will introduce how novel technological applications (i.e., histology, CT imaging) have been utilized by bioarchaeologists who study juvenile remains.

          Students who wish to expand their skills and experience in the field can register for an additional 4 week session of the Medieval Cemetery Funerary Excavation, immediately preceding the Juvenile Osteology Workshop. Note that previous experience in human anatomy and osteology, such as our Adult Osteology Research Laboratory Workshop or equivalent, is highly recommended but not mandatory.