Bioanthropology applied to archaeology
The Algarve Archaeological Association (AAA) will be presenting two lectures, in English, by archaeologist Lucy Shaw Evangelista PhD on Tuesday, May 2. The first lecture will be at 2.30pm at the Museu do Traje in São Brás; the second lecture will be at 6pm at the Convento de São José in Lagoa.
Lucy Shaw Evangelista will be talking about how physical anthropology, the study of human bones, can add very valuable information to the archaeological record as a way to gain a deeper understanding of the lives and cultures of past societies.
Physical anthropology is the study of human biological and physical characteristics and their evolution over time. Archaeology, on the other hand, is the study of past human cultures and societies through the analysis of artefacts, architecture and other material remains.
Physical anthropology can be applied to archaeology in several ways. One of the main applications is the study of human remains found in archaeological sites. Physical anthropologists can analyse these remains to determine the sex, age, health, and other physical characteristics of the individuals who lived in the past.
This information can provide important insights into the lifestyles and activities of past societies, as well as their health and living conditions. It can help archaeologists to better understand the origins of different cultural practices and traditions.
Lucy Evangelista is the Head of the Biological Anthropology Department at ERA Arqueologia, a Portuguese commercial archaeological company founded in 1997 which has vast experience in the study of human remains in archaeological contexts.
The talk will use some examples of recent projects, namely their excavation of the Quinta dos Poços Golf Course at Lagoa for the Pestana Hotels group, which yielded very important information on the human occupation in Recent Prehistory (3500-2200BC) in that region of the Algarve.
Archaeologist/Biological Anthropologist Lucy Shaw Evangelista has been the Head of the Bioanthropology Department at ERA Arqueologia since 2018. She is also a researcher at ICArEHB – Interdisciplinary Centre for Archaeology and Evolution of Human Behaviour, University of Algarve, and at the Research Centre for Anthropology and Health at the University of Coimbra.
After a degree and Master thesis in Prehistoric archaeology at the University of Porto (2004), she concluded her PhD in Physical Anthropology at the University of Coimbra (2018). Lucy’s research focuses on a number of themes, including funerary practices and architectures amongst the societies of Late Prehistoric Iberia. On these topics she has carried out fieldwork in southern Portugal, mainly at the Perdigões archaeological enclosure, in Reguengos de Monsaraz, Évora.
Non-members are welcome to attend AAA lectures for a €5 admission fee, with all money raised by the AAA being used for archaeological grants and speakers.
For more information, contact [email protected], visit arquealgarve.weebly.com or Facebook ‘Algarve Archaeological Association‘. Please check the website or Facebook page for any last-minute changes.
By JANE ROBERTSON
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