8 Human osteoarchaeology in Greece: an overview of the past 10 years and directions for the following 10

Human osteoarchaeology, the study of human skeletal remains from archaeological contexts, has a long history in Greece. This review paper examines the developments that have occurred in the field over the past decade using case studies published from 2015 onwards. These studies have been selected to demonstrate the wealth of osteoarchaeological research, geographically and temporally, and are organized based on the themes of mobility, diet, palaeopathology, activity patterns, and funerary archaeology. The final part of the paper discusses some of the key challenges that human osteoarchaeology in Greece faces. Most prominent among these challenges is the limited financial support for the humanities, the few national-level training opportunities in human osteoarchaeology in higher education, the lack of a national association within the field that could promote standardized practices and collaboration, and the fact that most osteoarchaeological material has come to light through rescue excavations. In association with these challenges, the future prospects of osteoarchaeology in Greece are briefly discussed.