Post by University of Massachusetts Amherst

What does it take to uncover stories hidden beneath the dirt? At the UMass Bioarchaeology & Forensic Anthropology Field School, it takes persistence, curiosity, a small trowel--and the ability to sing "I'm a little teapot" if you need a new trowel (yes, they really do!). As students carefully uncover and document the past, they are also exploring the ethical, legal, and cultural questions that shape how we understand human history today. They also form theories about what might have happened in their site, "We look at why things happen, because there is a reason for everything! Three (fake) femurs might indicate an medic situation - an amputation - on some sort of battlefield," says Anthropology senior Rania Abdelouahed. This field school is particularly unique because they work in collaboration with the UMass Chan Medical School. https://lnkd.in/eWjF_bSM Learn more about the Anatomical Gift Program here: https://lnkd.in/eJdFc4N3