York Osteoarchaeology Ltd

15/07/2026

Malin from York Osteoarchaeology attended the launch of We Go Way Malin from York Osteoarchaeology attended the launch of We Go Way Back at the Francis Crick Institute in London. The evening featured fantastic talks by Mary Beard and Pontus Skoglund, highlighting the fascinating discoveries emerging from the Crick's research on commercially excavated human remains, the research that forms the foundation of this exhibition.

If you're in London, We Go Way Back will be open for the next year, so there's plenty of time to visit and explore this unique exhibition.

28/05/2026

Project Highlight: Resolving an unusual forensic mystery in Harrogate 🕵️‍♂️🔍

When construction in a back garden uncovered a human skull and mandible, it initially prompted a police response. Following fieldwork by JB Archaeology Ltd, our team at York Osteoarchaeology undertook the specialist analysis, untangling a fascinating, multi-layered biography for the remains.

By combining osteology with scientific dating, we uncovered a few unexpected plot twists:

📅 Chronology: Radiocarbon dating placed the skull firmly in the early medieval period, between 684 and 883 AD.

👥 Demography: A detailed osteological assessment revealed that the skull and mandible did not belong to the same person, showing entirely different biological s*x characteristics.

🧪 Taphonomy: Most unusually, elements of the skull had been repaired with historical glue.

The Conclusion? The evidence suggests these early medieval remains were likely excavated generations ago, cleaned, and curated as an anatomical or academic teaching example, before being reburied in the garden in more recent history.

This case is a fantastic example of how commercial archaeology, specialist osteology, and radiocarbon dating can collaborate to solve unique forensic puzzles!

01/01/2026

What a remarkable year at YOA! From Suffolk to Bristol to Cumbria, we worked on human remains spanning the Bronze Age to the post-medieval period. Highlights included cremation burials and inhumations, Anglo-Saxon urns, Roman gypsum burials, intricate post-medieval coffins, and even a 19th-century carved antler walking stick handle.

We co-authored a high-impact paper on Roman gladiators, delivered public talks, and presented at conferences, including TAG2025.

Above all, we loved working with our incredible clients and collaborators. We wish you all a successful 2026!

13/12/2025

As part of our involvement with the fantastic Roman Seeing the Dead project led by the University of York, Department of Archaeology, we had an exciting few weeks. Highlights include the remarkable discovery of fingerprints preserved in gypsum, offering a rare and tangible connection to the individuals involved in Roman funerary practices

The Seeing the Dead research project at the University of York investigates the funerary custom, attested in Roman Yorkshire in the 3rd and 4th centuries CE, of using liquid gypsum to cover the clothed and shrouded bodies of adults and children as they lay in coffins of stone or lead.