Hands-On Learning: Durham Students Catalogue Bones for Future Osteology Class

Undergraduate and graduate students participated in a hands-on experiential learning project of disarticulating four donated skeletons to properly store the materials with a plan of developing an Osteology class at the Trent University Durham GTA campus in the future.

"It's one thing to read about everything, but having real-life materials to review is such an important part of the learning process," says Dr. Jennifer Newton, Trent Anthropology professor who organized the project.

The benefits of analyzing real bones vs. 3D-printed bones is the level of realistic detail. The colouring, diversity, and variation between bones based on different people can't always be replicated by bone models, making it important for students to have the opportunity to study the real materials.

These donated skeletons were ethically sourced and analyzed before donation to ensure they were not Indigenous. The bones needed to be disarticulated to be properly stored in a concealed box in a cool and dry area to avoid sunlight exposure, which will slow down the rate of deterioration and help maintain its integrity.

The 10 undergraduate and graduate students who worked with Professor Newton were from various programs including Anthropology, Archaeology, and Forensic Science, highlighting how different fields of study can intersect.

"Collaborating with a group of diverse backgrounds was amazing and gave lots of different perspectives and skills when handling the skeletal remains," said Olivia Molica Lazzaro, a graduate of the Master of Arts in Anthropology program

Lazzaro says opportunities organized by Trent professors, like this one, give students hands-on, practical experience that helps build their resume and confidence in the field.

"These projects have broadened my overall understanding of anthropology and archeology beyond classroom experiences and exposed me to different cultural contexts, research methodologies, and challenged me to think critically," says Lazzaro.