Paleodemography is the field of enquiry that attempts to identify demographic parameters from past populations (usually skeletal samples) derived from archaeological contexts, and then to make interpretations regarding the health and well-being of those populations. However, paleodemographic theory relies on several assumptions that cannot easily be validated by the researcher, and if incorrect, can lead to large errors or biases. In this book, physical anthropologists, mathematical demographers and statisticians tackle these methodological issues for reconstructing demographic structure for skeletal samples. Topics discussed include how skeletal morphology is linked to chronological age, assessment of age from the skeleton, demographic models of mortality and their interpretation, and biostatistical approaches to age structure estimation from archaeological samples. This work will be of immense importance to anyone interested in paleodemography, including biological and physical anthropologists, demographers, geographers, evolutionary biologists and statisticians.

Review of the hardback:‘… a must for all palaeodemographers and biological statisticians.’

Source: International Journal of Osteoarchaeology

Review of the hardback:‘Paleodemography has a checkered history and this book will mark a milepost.’

Source: American Journal of Human Biology

Review of the hardback:‘There are many excellent aspects of this well-produced book, not least the standardisation of terminology and notation across the contributions which makes the statistical reasoning less impenetrable than would otherwise be the case.’

Source: Journal of Human Evolution

Review of the hardback:‘In sum, palaodemographers, skeletal biologists, forensic anthropologists, bioarchaeologists, as well as archaeologists will find Paleodemography an important resource.’

Source: Society for Archaeological Sciences Bulletin

Review of the hardback:‘… essential for everyone with an interest in palaeodemography, including researchers and graduate students in biological anthropology, palaeopathology and biostatistics.’

Source: Annals of Human Biology

‘This very important book is an essential reference for anyone attempting to estimate demographic parameters through the study of human remains. … this volume is a carefully crafted contribution to palaeodemography, focused upon methodological concerns. Essential for practitioners, its contents should also appeal to a broader scientific community, including statisticians, demographers and evolutionary biologists.‘

Source: Antiquity