Bioarchaeology of Nubia

Abstract Bioarchaeology is the excavation and analysis of human remains from archaeological sites. Through numerous campaigns related to the building of dams and other projects, thousands of skeletal remains have been excavated from ancient Nubian sites. Paleopathological and morphological analyses of these collections have provided significant information about the lifeways of past inhabitants, including health, disease, activity patterns, traumatic injuries, diet, and biological relationships. From early case studies of pathological curiosities and racial typology to contextualized biocultural analyses of changes in health and population composition, Nubian bioarchaeology has adapted and expanded together with methodological and theoretical advancements in bioarchaeology more broadly. The integration of bioarchaeology within the larger archaeological research project from planning through analyses encourages more contextualized interpretations that combine skeletal evidence with settlement, environmental, and mortuary data to create a picture of life and death in the ancient Nubian past.