Biology Project Abstract
BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY: A CLOSE ANALYSIS OF HUMAN CRANIA
Presenter:Jeanna A. Jones, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, 1500 West Sullivan Road, Aurora, IL, 60506; norma@imsa.edu
Mentor:
Dr. Anne Grauer, Loyola University, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, 6525 N. Sheridan Rd., Chicago, IL, 60626; 773-508-3464; 773-508-3480; agrauer@luc.edu
Abstract:
The human skeleton is a very complex structure that requires a profound understanding of what it is and how it works. The human skull, one of the more complex structures of the body, consists of twenty-nine bones. The twenty-nine bones are divided into two groups: the bones of the calvarias, which supports and surrounds the brain and the bones of the face. My research consisted of collecting data from seven different crania archaeologically excavated from the Thurston Cemetery from Oakbrook, Illinois. My goal was to determine the age at death and the sex of the remains. Biological Anthropologists begin their skeletal analyses by creating a detailed inventory of the skeletal sample under investigation. Multiple techniques are used to determine age at death and sex of skeletal remains. Throughout the course of my laboratory experience and project, I became familiar with cranial anatomy and physiology, learned a variety of techniques to determine age at death and sex of skeletal remains, and began to apply this knowledge to the seven skulls from unknown individuals from the Thurston Cemetery. The techniques that I learned while working in the lab helped me to determine age at death and sex of three of these individuals.