osteobiography

Osteobiography is a term used in archaeology and bioarchaeology to describe the life history of an individual as inferred from their skeleton. It treats bones and teeth as records of growth, health, stress, and activity, reflecting a person’s biological development and environmental experiences across the lifespan.

Bones reveal a range of information about past lives. Childhood stress can be inferred from dental enamel hypoplasia and growth arrest lines; adult stature and robustness reflect nutrition and activity; degenerative joint disease and healed fractures indicate aging and injuries; dental health reveals dietary patterns and care. Bone remodeling patterns, as well as markers of disease and trauma, contribute to a narrative about daily life, occupation, movement, and social factors.

Methodologically, osteobiography combines osteological analysis with chemical and contextual data. Analysts estimate age at death, sex, and stature; identify pathologies and traumas; and assess activity-related skeletal changes. Isotopic analyses of carbon, nitrogen, and strontium can illuminate diet, geographic origins, and mobility, while dental and, when available, ancient DNA data can enrich life-history reconstruction. The goal is to assemble a plausible, evidence-based narrative of an individual’s life from multiple lines of evidence.

Applications of osteobiography include understanding health and disease patterns within populations, reconstructing lifeways, labor and social organization, migration patterns, and dietary change. In forensic contexts, it can aid in identification and timeline estimation. Limitations arise from preservation biases, gaps in the archaeological record, and the probabilistic nature of many inferences; interpretations must acknowledge uncertainty and avoid overreaching conclusions. Ethical considerations also guide the handling and reporting of human remains.