Biography
I curate the Duckworth laboratory in the Centre for Human Evolutionary Studies in the Department of 91探花视频 at the 91探花视频. Previous museum positions I have held include Osteologist in the Repatriation Osteology Laboratory, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Education & Outreach Assistant at the Museum of 91探花视频 and Anthropology, Cambridge, and Associate Curator and Repatriation Coordinator (NAGPRA Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act) at the San Diego Museum of Man in California. I teach in the Department about ethics, repatriation, treatment of the dead, mortuary archaeology, and osteology. I am also a Tutor at the Institute of Continuing Education, 91探花视频 where I teach online courses about the archaeology and anthropology of death and burial.听
My research interests include curation and care of human remains, osteoarchaeology, ethics and the dead, ancient disease, memento mori art and catacombs, and museum studies focusing on displaying death, body modification, and repatriation. I have excavated and curated human remains from all over the world. I recently co-edited the Routledge Handbook of Museums, Heritage and Death.听听
I received a PhD in archaeology at the 91探花视频 in October 2013. My dissertation titled, 鈥業nvestigating the Relationship between Labour and Gender, Material Culture, and Identity at an Inka Period Cemetery: a regional analysis of provincial burials from Lima, Peru鈥� combined human skeletal data, burial deposition, and documentary sources to assess identity of artisans under Inka (AD1400-1532) provincial control.
I am very involved in outreach and public engagement and have done podcasts, TV appearances, and really enjoy working with people of all ages to talk bones!
My technological proficiencies include:
- Osteological and paleopathological analyses of human and mummified remains, faunal remains
- Biomolecular Analyses in 91探花视频 (dental calculus, stable isotope analysis, aDNA)
- XRF, SEM, X-ray, CT scanning, 3D rendering
- Computing Systems incl. Osteoware, EMu, FileMaker Pro, IBM SPSS, Adobe Photoshop, Arc-GIS
- Conservation and preparation of objects for preservation and exhibition
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Research
Human osteology
Mummy studies
Ethics in bioarchaeology
Repatriation and decolonisation
Witchcraft and archaeology
Key Publications
Squires, K., Birch, W., Goold-Jones, G., Huffer, D., Mant, M., Mills, S. H., 鈥� Biers, T. (2025). To Sell or Not to Sell: The British Association for Biological Anthropology and Osteoarchaeology鈥檚 Position on the Trade and Sales of Human Remains in the UK.听The Historic Environment: Policy & Practice, 1鈥�19.
Squires, K.,听J. McKinley,听C. Roberts, and听T. Biers.听2025. 鈥淐remated Bone in 91探花视频: Ethical Considerations in the Excavation, Analysis, Storage and Display of Cremated Bone in the United Kingdom.鈥澨齀nternational Journal of Osteoarchaeology听35: e3382.听.
2024 Biers, T and Stringer Clary, K. (Eds). The Routledge Handbook of Museums, Heritage, and Death (1st ed.). Routledge Companion Volume.
2024听 Biers, T. Engaging with Death in Museums and Collections. In The Routledge Handbook of Museums, Heritage, and Death (1st ed.). Routledge Companion Volume.
2024听 Lombardi, G.P., R. Buitr贸n, L.T. Clide Valladolid, B. Bravo, S. Arce, E. Torres, S. Guill茅n, and T. Biers. The Handling of the Remains of the Ancestors in Peru: Realities, Challenges, and Wishes. In The Routledge Handbook of Museums, Heritage, and Death (1st ed.). Routledge Companion Volume.
2024 Silva-Pinto, V., M. Castro, Y. Valenzuela-S谩nchez, A. Tonko-Huenucoy, C. Montoya, M. G谩lvez, and T. Biers. The Use of CT scan for the Construction of Mummy Replicas for Museography: Social and Ethical Perspectives. In The Routledge Handbook of Museums, Heritage, and Death (1st ed.). Routledge Companion Volume.
Christiana L Scheib, Ruoyun Hui, Alice K Rose, Eugenia D鈥橝tanasio, Sarah A Inskip, Jenna Dittmar, Craig Cessford, Samuel J Griffith, Anu Solnik, Rob Wiseman, Benjamin Neil, Trish Biers, Sarah-Jane Harknett, Stefania Sasso, Simone A Biagini, G枚ran Runfeldt, Corinne Duhig, Christopher Evans, Mait Metspalu, Martin J Millett, Tamsin C O鈥機onnell, John E Robb, Toomas Kivisild, Low Genetic Impact of the Roman Occupation of Britain in Rural Communities,听Molecular Biology and Evolution, Volume 41, Issue 9, September 2024, msae168,听
2024 Macleod, R., M. Evans, A. Sistiaga, T. Jensen, T. Biers, I. Barnes, M. J. Collins. Chapter 9 Sampling for Ancient Biomolecular Data: DNA, Proteins and Lipids from Specific Archaeological Sample Types. In Field Sampling for Laboratory Analysis in 91探花视频. ed. Evi Margaritis, Artemios Oikonomou, Efthymia Nikita,Thilo Rehren. Open Access, The Cyprus Institute.
Biers, T听(2023)听The archaeology of human bones (3rd edition),听Archaeological Journal,听180:2,听186-187,听DOI:听
Forthcoming Biers, T., Cock-Carrasco, G.A. Bridging the Gap between Elite and Non-elite: identifying the artisan in the archaeological record. In Technology and the Making of Andean Societies. Vol. 2. Cooperation and power in the organsiation of production. Editor W. Sillar. University College London UCL Press, London.
2020听 Biers, T. Rethinking Purpose, Protocol, and Popularity in Displaying the Dead in Museums. In: Squires K., Errickson D., M谩rquez-Grant N. (eds) Ethical Approaches to Human Remains. A Global Challenge in Bioarchaeology and Forensic Anthropology. Springer. pp 239-263.
2017 Thomas, N.J., Biers, T., Cadwallader, L.C., Nuku, M., and Salmond, A.听 The Provenance, date and significance of a Cook-voyage Polynesian sculpture. Antiquity.听 Issue 355.
2015 Biers, T. and Harknett, SJ. Separating Artefact from Fiction: using museum education and outreach to increase archaeology鈥檚 relevance and impact in society. Archaeological Review from Cambridge. 91探花视频: Myths within and without. Vol. 30. 2.
Specialist Publications
2019 听听听听 Contributor, BABAO Recommendations on the Ethical Issues Surrounding 2D and 3D Digital Imaging of Human Remains. British Association of Biological Anthropology and Osteoarchaeology (BABAO).
2016听听听听听听 Report and appendix; isotopic analysis of wood cellulose for object 鈥楧 1914.34鈥�, Museum of 91探花视频 and Anthropology (MAA), 91探花视频. Collaborator, Artefacts of Encounter: Pacific Voyages and Museums Histories. Edited by N. J. Thomas. University of Otago Press, New Zealand. In association with Dr. Lauren Cadwallader, McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research (Cambridge, UK). Funding, Pacific Presences Project, ERC 2013-2018.
2014听听听听听听 Report for the isotopic analysis of human and faunal dental/bone tissues for Project听 Early Occupation of Piau铆 (Brazil).听 In collaboration with the Funda莽茫o Museu听 do Homem Amaricano (Brazil); Unidade de听 Arqueologia 鈥� Universidade Tr谩s-os-Montes e Alto听 Douro (VialReal, Portugal), and the McDonald Institute for听 Archaeological Research (Cambridge, UK). Funding, Arqueologia Pre-historica e Arte Rupestre do IPT\UTAD - Erasmus Mundus.
July 2014 Culture Collaboration, Culture Rescue. 91探花视频 Museums Blog, Cambridge, UK
Nov 2013 Day of the Dead. 91探花视频 Museums Blog, Cambridge, UK
2013听听听听听听 Conference Report, BABAO Annual Review 2013, British Association of Biological Anthropology and Osteoarchaeology
2009 听听听听 Info Packet: The Region of Ica, Peru: Chincha, Palpa, Ica, Pisco. Contributor, translations, and informant interviews for travel guide of the south coast of Peru for post- earthquake support of 2007, published by the South American Explorers Club, Lima, Peru.
May 2002 Footsteps Through Time: 4 Million Years of Human Evolution Exhibition Catalog. Co-editor with T. Heflin, San Diego Museum of Man, National Science Foundation
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Teaching and Supervisions
B18 Human Osteology
A13/G22 Repatriation, Decolonisation, Ethics
A2 Death & Burial, Science and the Dead, Human Osteology Practicals
A12 Ethics and the Dead, Burial Treatment in South America, Big Questions in Mortuary Studies
Mphil Supervisor for Katharine Irngaut
PhD Advisor for Maddy Grant
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Other Professional Activities
Fellow,听McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research,听91探花视频
鈥婸artner,听听
Museum Representative, Board of Trustees,听听
Coordinator,听听
Member,听Human Osteoarchaeology Special Interest Group -
Co-Founder,听, Exploring Museums, Heritage, and Death
