Session title: BIOARCHAEOLOGY OF INDIVIDUAL LIFE HISTORIES

The field of archaeological science is rapidly expanding. This growth includes laboratory methods for examination of human skeletal remains such as stable isotope ratios of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and strontium, as well as ancient DNA analyses. Together with equally advancing methods of macroscopic and microscopic studies, these new techniques, combined with the investigation of artefacts and other cultural remains, allow us for the first time to reconstruct individual life histories from birth to death, reflected in human skeletal and dental tissues and the associated grave goods. A number of archaeological projects have made examination of individual life biographies their focal points. The session will review this research from the perspective of the theoretical, methodological and practical matters involved in the development of this new subfield of bioarchaeology. The format of this session will include paper presentations focused on recent major mortuary complexes dated to the postglacial history of Eurasia, from the Mesolithic to the Modern period, ending with a round table discussion organized over one full day. Depending on the number and kind of submissions, the organizers foresee the possibility of publishing session materials in a separate volume.