An Introduction to Forensic and Bio-archaeology: Reading Human Skeletal Remains (FutureLearn)

Offered by Griffith University,
An Introduction to Forensic and Bio-archaeology: Reading Human Skeletal Remains (FutureLearn)

Learn to use ‘human skeletal analysis’ to uncover the story behind human remains. Explore three sites from around the world. Discover what’s written in the bones. A human skeleton is uncovered. Who was this person? What is their story? Through ‘human skeletal analysis’, we are able to read the story behind a skeleton and tell the sex, age and ethnicity of the person who passed away.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see FutureLearn's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

During this course, you’ll gain an introduction to some of the key techniques and approaches that are used in human skeletal analysis.
You’ll use case studies to uncover their stories and explore some of the ethical issues that surround the analysis of human remains.

What topics will you cover?

  • Principles and tools of forensic and biological archaeology
  • Legislative requirements for the discovery of human skeletal remains
  • Using craniometrics, isotopes, DNA and Carbon 14 to read human skeletal remains
  • Sensitivities involved in working with human skeletal remains
  • Role of Indigenous partnerships in the archaeological recovery of human skeletal remains
  • Explore three sites from around the world

What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you'll be able to...

  • Describe the basic principles of four techniques used to analyse human skeletal remains
  • Identify legislative requirements governing the discovery of human remains
  • Discuss the ethics of working with human remains
  • Explain the importance of context to the forensic or archaeological recovery of human remains
  • Reflect upon the role of technology, context and culture in reading the stories of human skeletal remains
Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Genomics: Decoding the Universal Language of Life (Coursera) Coursera
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Genomics: Decoding the Universal Language of Life (Coursera)

What is a genome? A genome contains all of the information that a cell needs to develop, function, and reproduce itself, and all the information needed for those cells to come together to form a person, plant, or animal. Genomes contain an organism’s complete set of genes, and also the even tinier genetic structures that help regulate when and how those genes are used. The ability to regrow a torn ligament, the clues that might predict the onset of mental illness, the nutritional potential of crops, and even the history of life itself, are all encoded in genomes. By taking this course, you will discover how scientists are deciphering the language of genomes to learn how to develop sustainable food and fuel supplies, improve disease treatment and prevention, and protect our environment.

Sep 28th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Cancer Biology (saylor.org) Saylor Academy
Saylor.org

Cancer Biology (saylor.org)

Cancer has existed among humans since humans themselves began and has been a subject of urgent interest from very early in our history. What we call “cancer” consists of a number of different diseases with one fundamental similarity: they are all initiated by the unchecked proliferation and growth of cells in which the pathways and systems that normally control cell division and mortality are absent.

Legacy Course
Self-Paced
Molecular Biology - Part 1: DNA Replication and Repair (edX) EdX
MIT,MITx

Molecular Biology - Part 1: DNA Replication and Repair (edX)

An in-depth adventure through DNA replication and repair to strengthen your scientific thinking and experimental design skills. You’re acquainted with your DNA, but did you know that your cells synthesize enough DNA during your lifetime to stretch a lightyear in length? How does the cellular machinery accomplish such a feat without making more mistakes than you can survive?

Apr 16th 2024
5-12 Weeks
Introduction to Forensic Science (Coursera) Coursera
Nanyang Technological University

Introduction to Forensic Science (Coursera)

We have all seen forensic scientists in TV shows, but how do they really work? What is the science behind their work? The course aims to explain the scientific principles and techniques behind the work of forensic scientists and will be illustrated with numerous case studies from Singapore and around the world.

Oct 19th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Emergence of Life (Coursera) Coursera
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Emergence of Life (Coursera)

How did life emerge on Earth? How have life and Earth co-evolved through geological time? Is life elsewhere in the universe? Take a look through the 4-billion-year history of life on Earth through the lens of the modern Tree of Life. This course will evaluate the entire history of life on Earth within the context of our cutting-edge understanding of the Tree of Life. This includes the pioneering work of Professor Carl Woese on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus which revolutionized our understanding with a new "Tree of Life."

Oct 5th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Introduction to Forensic Science (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Strathclyde

Introduction to Forensic Science (FutureLearn)

Explore the methods underpinning forensic science, from crime scene investigation to reporting evidential value within a case. The course addresses four major evidence types: drugs of abuse, DNA, firearms and impression evidence, and discusses these through the exploration of a case-based scenario presented across a six-week modular framework.

Self Paced
5-12 Weeks
Forensic Archaeology and Anthropology (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
Durham University

Forensic Archaeology and Anthropology (FutureLearn)

Enter the fascinating world of forensics, and learn how the deceased are located, recovered and analysed using DNA and pathology. Learn the science behind the exhumation and identification of skeletal remains. The location, exhumation and identification of the dead requires highly specialised expertise. On this course, you’ll learn the latest scientific techniques for body location, recovery and analysis.

Self Paced
5-12 Weeks