Bioarchaeology
Bioarchaeology at the New York State Museum focuses on understanding the lives of past populations through the study of human skeletal remains. Standard osteological methods are used to construct individual life histories and address broader questions of human adaptation and interaction through demographic trends, patterns of dietary and disease stress, trauma, and other activity related behaviors. These methods are also used to compile documentation in compliance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act and assist law enforcement in the identification of human remains.
Lisa Anderson
Curator of Bioarchaeology and NAGPRA Coordinator lisa.anderson@nysed.gov
My research is concerned with the biological impact of lifeways on populations in New York before and after the time of European contact. The main focus has been on developing baseline osteological data to examine general questions about human adaptation to the natural and cultural environment.
News Articles
Hallowing This Ground: The Courtland Street Burials and Lake George Battlefield Park
Published July 9, 2024 | Bioarchaeology
On February 7, 2019, a housing development excavation destroyed numerous unmarked military graves on Courtland Street in Lake George village. Following reports of exposed human remains, Lisa Anderson, curator of bioarchaeology at the New York Stat...
NYSM Bioarchaeology Staff Study Remains of Revolutionary War Soldiers
Published June 24, 2024 | Bioarchaeology
In 2019, bones dating back to the late 18th century were uncovered at a Lake George Village construction site. For the past four years, NYSM bioarchaeology staff Lisa Anderson, Julie Weatherwax, and Alexandra DeCarlo have been working together wit...
NYSM Bioarchaeology Staff Study Remains of Revolutionary War Soldiers
Published May 11, 2023 | Bioarchaeology
In 2019, bones dating back to the late 18th century were uncovered at a Lake George Village construction site. For the past four years, NYSM bioarchaeology staff Lisa Anderson, Julie Weatherwax, and Alexandra DeCarlo have been working together wit...
Bioarchaeology at the Courtland Street Burying Ground
Published December 19, 2019 | Bioarchaeology
When a historic unmarked cemetery was found during construction in Lake George, New York last winter, it was presumed to date to the mid-18th century French and Indian War. The discovery of a regimental button from the First Pennsylvania Battalion...
