New Developments in the Bioarchaeology of Care evaluates, refines and
expands existing concepts and practices in the developing field of
bioarchaeological research into health-related care provision in the
past.
Evidence in human remains that indicates an individual survived with, or
following, a serious pathology suggests this person most likely received
some form of care from others. This observation was first made half a
century ago, but it is only in the last five years that health-related
caregiving has been accepted as a topic for bioarchaeology research. In
this time, interest has grown exponentially. A focus on care provides a
dynamic framework for examining the experiences of disease and
disability in the past - at the level of the individual receiving care,
and that of the community providing it. When caregiving can be
identified in the archaeological record, bioarchaeologists may be able
to offer unique insights into aspects of past lifeways.
This volume represents the work of an international, diverse,
cross-disciplinary group of contributors, each bringing their own
particular focus, style and expertise to analyzing past health-related
care. Nineteen chapters offer content that ranges from an introduction
to the basic 'bioarchaeology of care' approach, through original case
studies of care provision, to new theoretical perspectives in this
emerging area of scholarship. This book creates a synergy that
challenges our thinking about past health-related care behaviors and
about the implications of these behaviors for understanding the social
environment in which they took place.
