CSI: Archaeology

From: Southwest Florida Archaeological Society

What: CSI: Archaeology

Presenter: Maranda Almy Kles

When: September 15, 2010 at 7 PM

Where: Bonita Springs Community Hall
27381 Old U.S. 41
Bonita Springs, FL 34135-5536


Have you ever wondered how CSI’s “Bones” knows what she knows about skeletal remains? Have you ever wondered if any of it can be applied to archaeology? So often skeletal remains are collected and minimally analyzed, and then passed over for the pottery and post holes that reveal so much about a culture. The human skeleton records just about everything about us: sex, stature, ancestry, diet, and so much more. The people make the culture. Understanding their remains can help us better understand the culture.

The September SWFAS talk, “CSI: Archaeology,” will highlight the different aspects of the biological profile of a human skeleton. Kles will also review an archaeological case from Southwest Florida and show how a combination of forensic techniques, archaeology, and historical analysis can reveal some interesting information about Florida’s past peoples. Hopefully at the end you will know what “Bones” knows and see how it can be used with archaeology to examine our past.

Maranda Almy Kles, MA, MS is a PhD student at the University of Florida, studying forensics and bioarchaeology. Her current research looks at biological distance in the Native American populations that inhabited pre-contact Florida. She has also worked as a Death Investigator for a medical examiner’s office and currently teaches an undergrad class on Forensic Anthropology.

For more information call Matthew Schuld at the Florida Public Archaeology Network Southwest Regional Center (239) 765-0202 ext. 153