York Osteoarchaeology Ltd

Name: York Osteoarchaeology Ltd
Address: 75 Main Street, Bishop Wilton, York, YO421SR, GB
Telephone: +441759368483

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York Osteoarchaeology Ltd was founded in 2003 and is the largest independent osteological contractor in the UK.

14/10/2026

Malin Holst of York Osteoarchaeology, will be giving a public talk on funerary ritual through the ages ('Six Feet Under') at the Washburn Heritage Centre on Friday 16 October at 7:00 pm.

Join Malin as she explores how societies have treated their dead across time, revealing what burial practices can tell us about past beliefs, identities and communities.

Whether you are interested in archaeology, history, or funerary traditions, this promises to be a fascinating evening.

📅 Friday 16 October, 7:00 pm

📍 Washburn Heritage Centre

Find out more and book your place here: https://washburnvalley.org/events/

05/10/2026

🏺 Exciting new insights from the early medieval Hart cemetery!

On Saturday, Holly Drinkwater from Cura Terrae, and Elina, Jordi and Malin from York Osteoarchaeology, presented the results of our work at the early medieval cemetery at Hart at the Teesside Archaeology Day.

The findings show evidence of possible Viking influence, and unusually high levels of child mortality.

These discoveries are raising new questions, and we're now exploring these further.

Watch this space for updates as the story of Hart continues to unfold!

BurialArchaeology HartCemetery TeessideArchaeology HeritageResearch YorkOsteoarchaeology

18/09/2026

The York Osteoarchaeology team is presenting the exciting results on our work on the early medieval cemetery at Hart at the Teesside Archaeology Day.

Book your spot: https://teesarchaeology.com/news-events/

16/09/2026

Yesterday was the 10 year anniversary of the reburial of the Fewston skeletal assemblage. We celebrated this together with the local community, descendants of the skeletons, the project volunteers and the research team.

It was a very moving day and we are looking forward to continuing our work on the remains with Heritage Lottery Funding.

https://washburnvalley.org/churchyard-secrets/

14/09/2026

Fantastic BABAO2O26 conference, with great presentations, including several York Osteoarchaeology projects. It was lovely to catch up with friends and colleagues and recent research in osteoarchaeology!

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.

07/11/2025

One of our most fascinating projects was at Cross Street in Manchester. We loved working for CFA Archaeology Ltd on the consultation, processing, analysis, and reporting of the Unitarian Cross Street Chapel graveyard - the final resting place of Elizabeth Gaskell and other notable figures.

Address

75 Main Street, Bishop Wilton
York
YO421SR

Telephone

+441759368483

Website

https://www.yorkosteoarchaeology.co.uk/

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