Human osteological database at the Israel Antiquities Authority Overview and some examples of use

Th e Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) has a department of osteology that is based in Jerusalem and is in charge of the study of past human skeletal remains found in IAA excavations. Th e human osteological database was fi rst created by the IAA in 1994 and includes basic demographic, metric, and descriptive data of the archaeological skeletons found in present-day Israel. Over the years, these data have been routinely collected using standardized criteria that are presented here in detail. Th is standardization allows reconstruction of a comprehensive anthropological profi le of ancient local populations and comparison of bioarchaeological data from various periods and geographic regions. Examples of use are given along with selected data from various periods and populations.