Public Lecture by Ms Michelle Padovani – Studies in evolutionary anthropology

Reading for Masters in Archaeology: Studying the dead, is it possible to determine whether an individual is right or left handed from their skeletal remains?

Synopsis

Handedness is often said to be one of the only things that separate humans from other animals. It is a phenomenon that has baffled scholars for years and is still not fully understood. Perhaps it is due to its unsolved nature that the phenomenon continues to intrigue people; so much so that in many societies left-handers are viewed as abnormal and are forced to conform to what society has deemed to be the norm. This lecture aims to discuss briefly the main debates that feature within the study of handedness, and the benefits of being able to determine the handedness of an individual from skeletal remains towards the study of evolutionary anthropology, cultural archaeology and forensics.hat in many societies left-handers are viewed as abnormal and are forced to conform to what society has deemed to be the norm. This lecture aims to discuss briefly the main debates that feature within the study of handedness, and the benefits of being able to determine the handedness of an individual from skeletal remains towards the study of evolutionary anthropology, cultural archaeology and forensics.