Archaeology of Human Pathogens: Palaeopathological Appraisal of Palaeoepidemiology.

The recent introduction of the new field of research of palaeomicrobiology has established new links between microbiological and archaeological sciences by using molecular techniques on archaeological material. However, although the material under study appears to be shared by both these fields, some of the methods, concepts, expectations and paradigms are not. The goal of this chapter is to present, from the bioanthropological and palaeopathological point of view, what ancient bones can tell us concerning the reconstruction of past infectious diseases from a palaeoepidemiological perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]