Digging Into American-Irish History: Bones Found in Chester County Mass Grave

More than 175 years ago, a ditch in Chester County became a mass grave for 57 Irish immigrant railroad workers, thought to have died of cholera. Now, a team that includes a Penn scholar and undergraduate is digging deeper into the lives – and deaths – of these laborers.

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How many years does it take for a human to mature? Panoramic X-rays of the developing dentition of Philadelphia children show that children are maturing more quickly than children even 1 generation ago.

Where
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

When
Children born after 1990

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Forensic anthropology contributes to many types of criminal investigations – homicides, bank robberies, etc. The primary tool of the forensic anthropologist is an understanding of human variation and its application to these cases.

Forensic anthropologists, with the tried-and-true techniques of skeletal analysis, have contributed for decades in significant ways to many aspects of law enforcement. What many people do not generally know, however, is ALL of the ways forensic anthropology can (and do) contribute to crime scene investigations including the application of crime scene recovery using archaeological techniques of site excavation as well as the application of biological anthropology to many different types of criminal investigations.

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A comparative study of the behavior, ecology and genetics of three monogamous primates

Where
Formosa Province, Argentina and Tiputini Biodiversity Station in Ecuador

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The Krapina Neandertal site in Croatia contains the largest collection of Neandertal fossils as yet recovered. Skulls, teeth, and all of the bones of the skeleton are preserved. This collection has given us a wealth of information on the Neandertal way of life. Radiographic, CT and SEM analysis has allowed us to study these Neandertals in new and interesting ways.

Where
Krapina Rock shelter, located on Husnjakovo Hill, in the Village of Krapina, some 55 km north of the city of Zagreb, Croatia.

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The Guatemala Health Initiative involves Penn faculty and students and the mostly Tzutujil Maya community of Santiago Atitlan, in the western highlands of Guatemala. Together we are exploring culturally sensitive ways to improve health outcomes, in general, and maternal and child health, in particular.

Where
Santiago Atitlán, western highlands of Guatemala

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The C.A.R.E. Program explores the complex interaction between environmental variables (availability of resources, cultural practices, socioeconomic status) and fertility and health patterns in populations of northern Argentina.

Where
Indigenous (Toba and Wichí) and non-indigenous populations in the province of Formosa, Gran Chaco region of Argentina, in the border with Paraguay.

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The Anatolian Genetic History Project is a detailed genetic and ethnographic study of populations living in Central Anatolia to elucidate their origins and affinities with European, Near Eastern and Central Asian groups.

Where
We are working in various parts of Central Anatolia in the regions surrounding Ankara, and hope to expand this work to other areas of Turkey.

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