Bioarchaeology in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

10/12/2025

Field Director Dr. Lauren Swift presented on the preliminary results of skeletal analysis for Hegra Tomb 116.1 at the Australasian Society for Human Biology (ASHB) 2025 Conference

31/07/2025

This afternoon Dr. Lauren Swift (field director) gave a presentation on the preliminary findings from the 2025A season and a general project overview in the Archaeology at UWA seminar series.

27/07/2025

All are welcome to this free presentation by field director Dr. Lauren Swift!

Second in Semester 2 - Thursday, 31 July at 3pm - we have an amazing presentation from Dr Lauren Swift, the field director of the Bioarchaeology in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia project, on the preliminary findings after their recent sixth and final field season.

Disclaimer: this seminar will include the presentation and discussion of human remains.

Centre for Forensic Anthropology UWA Research

18/07/2025

Last month project director Dr. Daniel Franklin gave a presentation on our findings at the International Congress on the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East

24/06/2025

Before completing any biological analysis on skeletal remains, we first lay out the bones in anatomical position. This allows us to assess the degree of completion and preservation before moving on to further analysis.

04/06/2025

2025A Interesting Finds - Sacralised Lumbar
Sacralised lumbar vertebrae, also called lumbosacral transitional vertebrae, have been found in several individuals from Hegra. This is a congenital anomaly where the fifth lumbar vertebra is fused partially or fully to the sacrum. It occurs in around 10-40% of the modern population and may or may not be associated with symptoms.

26/05/2025

2025A Interesting Finds - Associated Artefacts
Fabric and leather remnants have been a common artefact found in association with the skeletal remains from Hegra. Pictured here is an example of leather mummified to a pelvis. The leather was likely part of a shroud, commonly used by the Nabataeans to wrap the deceased prior to burial.

19/05/2025

This week the team was joined by university student Sadeem, who is an Archaeology and Museums major at Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University. Swipe to get to know Sadeem and what she had to say about her experience with BAKSAU.

It was a pleasure having Sadeem and we wish her the best of luck for her studies and future career in archaeology.

11/05/2025

2025A Interesting Finds - Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is one of the most common pathologies in archaeological skeletal samples. It is a type of degenerative joint disease with several different causes. As seen in these bones from Hegra, it can be characterised by pitting, additional bony growths (osteophytes), and/or ‘polished’ regions (eburnation) where there has been direct bone-on-bone contact.

07/05/2025

PhD student Christina has been analysing bones from Hegra in conjuction with the BAKSAU project this season. Her research explores signs of trauma, pathology, and stress and aims to provide a greater insight into the health and lifestyle of the Nabataean occupants of Hegra.

02/05/2025

To celebrate being halfway through the 2025A season the team took a well deserved break- having brunch at the Pink Camel!