Unit of Bioarcheology
Lab of Bioarcheology and Forensic Osteology
tel. ++39 051 2094197
fax ++39 051 2094191
Group Leader: Prof. Maria Giovanna Belcastro
E-mail : maria.belcastro@unibo.it
Research in progress :
- Human skeletal remains are an important bio-cultural archive providing information about the life style of ancient populations. Their study contributes to reconstruct the social, economic, hygienic conditions, health status, availability and type of food resources, level of physical stress, etc., and provides an insight into the adaptive strategies that Man adopted in the past. Bones and teeth are the traces of the life history and history of ancient populations.
- Bioarchaeology: studies of bone and teeth as palaeodemographic, palaeonutritional, palaeopathological and activity markers, to reconstruct the life style of the ancient populations of the Mediterranean area and of Central Asia.
- Macroscopic and microscopic methods (stereomicroscopy and Scanning Electronic Microscopy) are utilised. The skeletal collections are preserved in the: Laboratory of Bioarchaeology and Forensis Osteology, (Neolithic to modern periods); Institut de Paléontologie Humaine, Paris (Upper Palaeolithic); Croatian Natural History Museum, Zagreb (Croazia) (Middle Palaeolithic); Central inand Asiatic (Central State Museum of Kazakhistan, Almaty) (Bronze and Iron Ages).
Funding :
PRIN 2002-2004 (MIUR) “Origini ed Evoluzione del popolamento umano in Italia: Paleobiologia, Comportamento, Strategie di sussistenza"
FIRB 2003 (MIUR) “La modernizzazione nel Kazakhstan : indagini antropologiche, nutrizionali, epidemiologiche”
RFO (EX 60%) 2004 “Paleobiologia e comportamento in popolazioni umane preistoriche”
RFO (EX 60%) 2005 “La transizione Paleolitico medio/superiore: paleobiologia e comportamento”
Patents :
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Selected Publications :
- Belcastro M.G., Mariotti V., Facchini F., Dutour O. 2005 Leprosy in a skeleton from the 7th century necropolis of Vicenne-Campochiaro (Molise, Italy). Int. J. Osteoarchaeol 15(6):16-34
- Mariotti V., Dutour O., Belcastro M.G., Facchini F., Brasili P. 2005 Probable early presence of leprosy in Europe in a Celtic skeleton of IV-III century B.C. (Casalecchio di Reno, Bologna, Italy). Int. J. Osteoarchaeol 15 (5): 311-325
- Mariotti V., Bonfiglioli B., Belcastro M.G., Facchini F., Condemi S. 2004 The contribution of anthropological study to the reconstruction of the life style of the epipaleolithic population of Taforalt (Morocco). Preliminary report. Acts XIVth UISPP Congress,Liège 2001,Archaeopress OXFORD: 145-152.
- Bonfiglioli B, Mariotti V, Facchini F, Belcastro MG, Condemi S. (2004) Masticatory and non-masticatory dental modifications in the Epipaleolithic necropolis of Taforalt (Morocco). Int J Osteoarchaeol 14: 448-456.
- Mariotti V, Facchini F, Belcastro MG. (2003) Enthesopathies: proposal of a standardised scoring method and applications. Collegium Antropol 27:121-135.
- Belcastro MG, Mariotti V, Facchini F, Bonfiglioli B. (2003) Proposal of a data collection form to record dento-alveolar features. Application to two Roman skeletal samples from Italy. Collegium Antropol 27: 103-120.
- Facchini F, Belcastro MG, Thun Hohenstein U. (2003) (Eds.) Evolution Of The Human Peopling In Italy: Paleobiology, Behaviour, Subsistence Strategies. Collegium Antropol 27 2: 1-3.
- Bonfiglioli B, Brasili P, Belcastro MG. (2003) Dento-alveolar lesions and nutritional habits of a Roman Imperial Age population (1st-4th c.AD): Quadrella (Molise, Italy). Homo 54 1: 36-56.
- Belcastro MG, Facchini F. (2001) Anthropological and cultural features of a skeletal sample of horsemen from the medieval necropolis of Vicenne-Campochiaro (Molise, Italy). Collegium Antropol 25 2: 387-401.
- Belcastro MG, Mariotti V. (2000) Morphological and biomechanical analysis of a skeleton from the Roman imperial necropolis of Casalecchio di Reno (Bologna, Italy, II-III c.A.D.). A possible case of crutch use. Collegium Antropol 24: 529-39.
Postgraduate training :
Ph.D. Program in Biomarkers and environments : Evolution and biodiversity of the ancient Human populations
Collaborations :
-: Prof. Silvana Condemi, Institute de Paléontologie Humaine, Parigi
-: Prof. Olivier Dutour, Université de la Méditerranée, Service d’Anthropologie Biologique, Faculté de Médicine de Marseille (Francia)
-: Dr. Jakov Radovcic Jacov Radovcic, Croatian Natural History Museum di Zagabria
-: Prof. David Frayer, Department of Anthropology, University of Kansas
-: Centre Europèen de Reserches Prèhistoriques de Tautavel, Francia
-: Proff. Ainagul Ismagulova e Orazak Ismagulov, Central State Museum del Kazakhstan, Almaty
-: Prof. Giacomo Giacobini Dip. di Anatomia, Farmacologia e Medicina legale della Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia dell’Università di Torino
-: Soprintendenza archeologica dell’Emilia Romagna (sedi: Bologna, Parma)
-: Soprintendenza archeologica e per i Beni Ambientali, Architettonici, Artistici e Storici del Molise
Links :
Postgraduate training
http://www.dipartimentobiologia.it/doctoraltraining/facchinibelcastro.asp
Research group :
Valentina Mariotti (PhD student)
Chiara Consiglio (PhD student)
Elisa Rastelli (PhD student)
Benedetta Bonfiglioli (Postdoc)
Graziella Ciani (Laboratory technician)
Maria Giovanna Belcastro (Associate Professor)
