Written in Bone Vocabulary
8th Grade Reading
archaeology – the science that deals with past human life as shown
by artifacts (things made by ancient peoples).
forensic science – the use of science and technology to help provide
evidence or facts in a court of law.
forensic anthropology – (1) anthropology – scientific study of human
beings and their ancestors; (2) thus, a specialist who examines
skeletons for clues about the lives and deaths from people long ago
artifacts – man-made objects from long ago (e.g., pottery, eating
utensils, tools, weapons, idols)
plantation – farm (during Colonial times. During pre-Civil War era
carried a broader meaning.)
prehistoric – the time before written history.
sherd – a large piece of broken pottery (ceramic)
indentured servant – a person who agreed to work for a landowner
for a term of four to seven years in exchange for food, a place to
sleep, and passage from England
clandestine – something done in secret
geophysics - a science that deals with the physical processes
occurring in or near the earth
stratigraphy - geology that deals with the beginnings, composition,
distribution, and succession of the layers of rock in the earth's
crust
rickets - a disease of young people and animals in which the bones
are soft and deformed due to an inability of the body to use calcium
and phosphorus because of a lack of vitamin D
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anemia - a condition in which the blood has less than the normal
amount of red blood cells usually marked by weakness, exhaustion,
pale skin, shortness of breath, and abnormal heartbeat
bloodletting - the opening of a vein for the purpose of drawing blood
susceptible - having little resistance
arthritis - inflammation of the joints
osteoporosis - a condition affecting especially older women that is
characterized by weak bones that are easily broken
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