Humans have had to contend with injuries and infections since the times or our earliest
ancestors.  But how did they deal with these problems?  What medical practices existed in
prehistoric cultures?  In this course we will search for answers from the fields of archaeology,
bioanthropology, ethnohistory and history.  The evidence for medical treatment includes
skeletons, medical implements, art and botanical and biological remains.  Discussions of
readings will be combined with individual and group research projects and hands-on
experiences.  After a brief overview of cellular biology, pathogens and the immune system,
we will examine the diseases encountered in the fossil remains.  We will then focus on the
surgery and treatments of the skull and teeth followed by fractures, infections and parasites
in the postcranial skeleton.  We will conclude with a brief discussion of healers and plant
remedies and the development of medicine in Europe.