New Developments in the Bioarchaeology of Care

The goal of this volume is to report on, evaluate, refine and expand existing concept and practice in the developing field of bioarchaeological research into health-related care provision in the past.§§Most bioarchaeological analysis and health has been inferred from physical evidence in human remains indicating survival with or recovery from a disabling pathology. But the bones can also give a perspective on caregiving - a topic that many archaeologists have overlooked. In any community, who is 'healthy' and who is not is shaped by cultural norms, values and belief systems. It follows that where health-related care can be identified, it can offer unique insights into aspects of past life and social behavior.§§Between an introduction to the existing 'bioarchaeology of care' approach and the Conclusion are 14 chapters with content raving from reports on primary research into instances of caregiving through to cases for new theoretical perspectives on this emerging cross-disciplinary area of scholarship.§§These chapters are the work of an international, diverse and cross-disciplinary group of contributors, each of whom brings their own particular focus, style and expertise to analyzing part health-related provision. Together, these chapters create a synergy that challenges and extends our thinking around past health-related care behavior and about the implications of this behavior for understanding the wider social environment in which it took place.§