History and Life Histories of Anatomical Skeletons from India
Sabrina Agarwal, Professor
Anthropology
Closed. This professor is continuing with Spring 2024 apprentices on this project; no new apprentices needed for Fall 2024.
An ongoing research of PI Agarwal's research and writing delves into the bioethics of bioarchaeological practice, scientific racism, and osteological conservation and collection. This project is focused on the history and ethical responsibility of scientists working with skeletal anatomical legacy collections particularly from India. India was the primary global red market source of human skeletons for almost 150 years, with an estimated peak of 60,000 skeletons/year exported prior to the ban in 1985, the majority obtained by illegal theft/murder/coercion. While the mass exportation of human skeletons since the ban has ceased, large historical collections are kept and used globally including North America. This study includes two components, a lab project collecting and analysing demographic skeletal data from historical anatomical skeletons, and a second archival research and literature review on the history of anatomical exportation from India.
The undergraduate student involved in this project will be trained in data management and literature review and research, and students that have osteological/anatomical training will be able to collect lab demographic data.
Role: The undergraduate student involved in this project will be provided with a background in the history of anatomical skeletal export from India, and bioethics in bioarchaeology, and methods used to collect and analyse osteological demographic data. The student will be trained in the procedures for collection of osteological data, data management with word and excel, and literature/research methods on this topic. This training is valuable for any student interested in a career in anthropology, biology, medicine, biomedical research, forensic anthropology, and human osteology.
Qualifications: To be a good candidate for this job you should be highly detail-oriented, organized, reliable, patient, diligent, and coordinated for hands-on work. Applicants must be willing to work carefully and respectfully with human skeletal materials. Students must be willing to follow any proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) protocols and standard operating procedures within lab spaces. Prerequisites: having taken or current enrollment in
Anth 127A (Skeletal Biology/Bioarchaeology), human anatomy, osteology, or otherwise knowledge of human skeletal system and bone biology.Skills with Excel and any statistical software (SPSS, JMP, R) would also be great. The time commitment for this job is 6-8 hours/week.
Day-to-day supervisor for this project: Sabrina Agarwal
Hours: 6-8 hrs
Off-Campus Research Site: In campus in lab
Related website: www.sabrinaagarwal.com
Social Sciences