Human remains are a unique archaeological resource in that they allow direct contact with peoples of the past and provide information on physiology, diet, disease, genetics and behaviour that is not available from any other source. While the study of human remains from archaeological sites provides invaluable data for the reconstruction of societies in the past, it also places important responsibilities on those who conduct such studies. This subject provides a critical and global review of the kinds of evidence that can be used to study the people of the past and the investigative techniques and interpretative approaches that can be applied to such evidence. The subject will include reviews of burial practices and burial places; the kinds of human remains represented in the archaeological record; indirect sources of evidence; excavation methods and post-excavation treatment of human material; DNA, forensic and palaeopathological studies; anatomical reconstructions; palaeodemography and human remains as heritage. Significant emphasis is placed on the ethical, legal and moral issues that must be addressed in the recovery, study and treatment of human remains.

Some lectures and tutorials in this subject will use illustrations of human remains recovered from archaeological contexts. None of these illustrations will depict remains from Australian Aboriginal sites.