Honoring
Jane Buikstra’s pioneering work in the development of bioarchaeological research,
the essays in this volume stem from a symposium at the annual meeting of the
Society for American Archaeology. Multiple generations of Buikstra’s former doctoral
students and other colleagues gathered to discuss the impact of her mentorship.
The essays are remarkable for their breadth, in terms of both the topics
discussed and the geographical range they cover. The contributions highlight
the dynamism of bioarchaeology, which owes so much to the strong foundations
laid down over the last few decades. The volume documents the degree to which
bioarchaeological approaches have become normalized and integrated into
anthropological research: bioarchaeology has moved out of the appendix and into
the interpretation of archaeological data. New perspectives have emerged,
partly in response to theoretical changes within anthropology, but also as a
result of the engagement of the broader discipline with bioarchaeology.