Coordinator: Vítor M. J. Matos
The present unit focuses on the relevance of skeletal remains to the study of the human condition and human behavior in general. Human bone is the basis of the work here undertaken. Therefore, in this unit several analysis of past populations, from the Mesolithic to the Modern Era are being carried out with the aim of revealing life history at both the individual and the population levels. Since this analysis starts on the field, we are involved with several excavations of human bones from archaeological contexts. Their paleobiological study is done on the Laboratory of Paleodemography and Paleopathology in the Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the Coimbra University, which is collaborating both with the Service of Imagiology of the Hospitais da Universidade de Coimbra and with the National Institute of Forensic Medicine.
The items analysed varied from sex diagnoses, age at death, morphological aspects, paleopathology, such as infectious and rheumatic diseases, stress indicators and dietary behavior. Many of this topics are being researched as masters and Phd thesis. For these researches the potential of the well documented, large and identified skeletal collections of Museu Antropológico of the University of Coimbra has been fundamental.
Coordinator
Research group: Past Cultures and Populations (Group Coordinator) 
Institutional Address: Department of Life Sciences
E-mail: vmatos@antrop.uc.pt
Personal URL:
http://www.degois.pt/visualizador/curriculum.jsp?key=9241316088281773
https://coimbra.academia.edu/vmatos
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Vitor_Matos3?
Orcid: 0000-0002-2248-1779
ResearcherID: F-3921-2010
Scopus Author ID: 13606806600
Researchers
Research group: Past Cultures and Populations
Institutional Address: Department of Life Sciences
E-mail: alsantos@antrop.uc.pt
Phone number: +351 239 240 718
Research interests:
- Biological Anthropology; Paleopathology, History of diseases, Funerary Anthropology.
- Skeletal Biology, Age-at- death, Paleodemography.
- Pre-Columbian Caribbean.
- Multidisciplinary approach to the study of human skeletal remains, articulating data
obtained directly from macroscopic and radiological observations with information
from secondary sources, such as documents, archives and iconographies. - The study of health in past populations in particular the spread of infectious diseases, as
a consequence of migration, socioeconomic changes and wars. - Evolution of diagnosis, therapeutic and prevention of diseases in the last millennia such
as the changes of behaviours and exclusion of patients from society.
Personal URL:
https://www.cienciavitae.pt/portal/F114-E8BE-5FEC
http://www.uc.pt/fctuc/dcv/pessoas/docentes/a_santos/index
http://orcid.org/0000-0001- 6073-1532
http://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.url?authorId=13204856100
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=pzdUetYAAAAJ&hl=pt-PT
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ana_Luisa_Santos
https://coimbra.academia.edu/AnaLuisaSantos
http://www.degois.pt/visualizador/curriculum.jsp?key=3477900544307421
Researcher ID: A-1128- 2010
Research group: Past Cultures and Populations
Institutional Address: Department of Life Sciences
E-mail: amgsilva@antrop.uc.pt
Personal URL:
ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ana_Silva44
Academia: https://coimbra.academia.edu/AnaMariaSilva
DeGóis: http://www.degois.pt/visualizador/curriculum.jsp?key=8719481131162428
Research group: Past Cultures and Populations
Institutional Address:
Research Centre for Anthropology and Health (CIAS)
Department of Life Sciences
Email: lopesc@ci.uc.pt
Research interests:
The main research interest focuses on:
- the study of populations of the past;
- paleopathology, in particular the spread of infectious diseases and their impact on human skeleton;
- History of diseases, evolution of diagnosis, therapeutic and prevention;
- Funerary Anthropology.
Ongoing Projects:
“A transição epidemiológica no interior de Portugal continental contada através dos ossos. Estudo demográfico e paleopatológico da coleção identificada de Évora.” – Investigação de pós-doutoramento financiada pela Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (SFRH/BPD/117128/2016)
Personal URL:
DeGóis: http://www.degois.pt/visualizador/curriculum.jsp?key=9747598328292698
ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Celia_Lopes2
Academia: https://coimbra.academia.edu/C%C3%A9liaLopes
Research group: Past Cultures and Populations
Institutional Address: CIAS – Research Centre for Anthropology and Health
Email: c.y.henderson@uc.pt
Research interests:
My research interests focus on occupational disease and injury in past populations, predominantly in terms of their identification, but also their impact on the individual and the societies in which they lived.
This research focus stems from my studies of entheseal changes, widely used to study occupation in past societies. I continue to work on recording methods and the interpretation of data for these. I am also the leader of the working group on methodology set up after the Workshop on MSM, Coimbra 2009.
Ongoing Projects:
2012 – now. Postdoctoral research funding: Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) SFRH/BPD/82559/2011. Title. Identifying occupation: a test using identified skeletal collections.
March 2013 – October 2013. Wenner-Gren Workshop Grant CONF-632. Grant to organise a workshop in Coimbra in July 2013 for the working groups on entheseal changes. Investigators: Dr S. Villotte, Dr C. Henderson, Dr F. Alves Cardoso and Dr G Perreard-Lopreno. Title. “Entheseal changes and reconstruction of human behavior: towards standardization”. Budget $11 397.January 2013 – October 2013. Wolfson Research Institute Small Grant. Exploratory grant for 9 months with start date January 2013. Principal Investigator. Dr G. King and co-investigators Dr
C Henderson and Dr R Gowland. Title. “The ecology of disease: using ELISA to test for seronegative spondyloarthropathies and their triggers in an archaeological context.” Budget £1000.
Research group: Past Cultures and Populations 
Institutional Address:
Research Centre for Anthropology and Health (CIAS)
Department of Life Sciences
Email: fcurate@uc.pt
Personal URL:
DeGois: http://www.degois.pt/visualizador/curriculum.jsp?key=7872612291835339
Academia: https://coimbra.academia.edu/FranciscoCurate
Research group: Past Cultures and Populations
Institutional Address:
Departamento de Ciências da Vida
Universidade de Coimbra
Email: sofiawas@antrop.uc.pt
Phone number: + 351 239 240 717
Research interests:
The main research interest focuses on the study of populations of the past, paleopathology, dental anthropology, the development and testing methodologies of sexual diagnosis, estimation of height and age-at- death.
Personal URL:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sofia_Wasterlain?
http://www.degois.pt/visualizador/curriculum.jsp?key=2927829615239474
Research group: Past Cultures and Populations 
Institutional Address:
Laboratório de Antropologia Biológica
Departamento de Biologia, Escola de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade de Évora
E-mail: tmf@uevora.pt
Research interests:
Human Paleopathology; human past populations
Paleopatologia Humana; Populações Humanas do Passado
Personal URL:
Researchers (PhD Students)
Research group: Past cultures and populations
Institutional Address:
Departamento de Ciências da Vida
Centro de Investigação em Antropologia e Saúde
Email: manu_alvaro16@hotmail.com
Research interests:
Physical Anthropology; Osteology; Bioarchaeology; Forensic Anthropology; Skeletal Biology; Paleopathology; Paleoanthropology; Forensic Archaeology; Human Anatomy; Forensics; Bone Biology; Skeletal Development; Anthropology; Skeleton; Osteoarchaeology
Research group: Past Cultures and Populations
Institutional Address:
CIAS – Centro de Investigação em Antropologia e Saúde
Email: anaisabelrufino@gmail.com
Research interests:
Dental Anthropology
Paleopathology
Personal URL:
Research group: Past Cultures and Populations 
Institutional Address: Research Centre for Anthropology and Health, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra
Email: bruno.miguel.silva.magalhaes@gmail.com
Research interests:
Paleopathology; Funerary Anthropology; Archeology; Human Evolution.
Personal URL:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Bruno_M_Magalhaes2?
Research group: Past Cultures and Populations
Institutional Address:
CIAS – Research Centre for Anthropology and Health
Email: anac@ci.uc.pt
Research interests:
Personal URL:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Carina_Marques/info
https://independent.academia.edu/CarinaMarques2
http://www.degois.pt/visualizador/curriculum.jsp?key=1539318097523970
Research group: Past cultures and populations 
Institutional Address:
Departamento de Ciências da Vida
Centro de Investigação em Antropologia e Saúde
Email: inesleandro@hotmail.com
Research interests:
- Osteology
- Prehistory
- Bioarchaeology
- Physical Anthropology
- Skeletal Biology
- Paleopathology
- Paleoanthropology
- Anthropology
- Biological Anthropology
- Prehistoric Archaeology
- Taphonomy
- Dental Anthropology
- Isotopes
- Stable Isotope Analysis
Personal URL:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ines_Leandro/info
https://coimbra.academia.edu/In%C3%AAsLeandro
Research group: Past Cultures and Populations
Institutional Address:
CIAS – Centro de Investigação em Antropologia e Saúde
Email: mjoao.neves@dryas.pt; maria.neves@ci.uc.pt
Research interests:
My main interest is focused on the study of past funerary practices throughout an archaeothanatological approach. I have also a special interest in excavation and digital recording (using ArcGIS, digital planning and 3D documentation) of funerary/mortuary contexts.
Ongoing Projects:
Currently I’m finishing my Doctoral Thesis based on an anthropological and archaeological approach of three collective Late Neolithic tombs from southern Portugal. This approach is based on Archaeothanatological principles and GIS tools use.
I participate also in the project “Caçadores-Recolectores e Sociedades Agro-Pastoris: territórios e paisagens culturais no Vale do Sado, na primeira metade do Holocénico – SADO-MESO II”.
DGPC project. Coord. Pablo Arias Cabal (Univerdidad de Cantabria) and Mariana Diniz; (Universidade de Lisboa).
Personal URL:
Research group: Past Cultures and Populations 
Institutional Address:
Research Centre for Anthropology and Health (CIAS)
Department of Life Sciences
Email: sofiatereso@gmail.com
Ongoing Projects:
“Da capital dos Zoelas a Brigantia”. Projeto financiado pela Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian
“Intervención Arqueolóxica, Documentación Fotogramétrica e Dinamización Cultural da necrópole de Medeiros (Monterrei, Ourense; Xuño, 2016)
Personal URL:
Collaborators
Research group: Past cultures and populations
Institutional Address:
Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Centro de Investigação em Antropologia e Saúde
Email: alexandrina.amorim@gmail.com
Research interests:
Research group: Past cultures and populations
Institutional Address: CIAS- Centro de Investigação em Antropologia e Saúde
Email: a.q.curto@gmail.com
Research interests:
- Synergy between health, diet and human metabolism
- Development of new tools to study health in past populations
- Stable isotope analysis
- Trace elements
- Paleopathology
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ana_Curto
Research group: Past Cultures and Populations
Email: asbr73@gmail.com
Research interests:
- Anthropological databases and preservation of anthropological field reports and information
- Terminology in Bioarchaeology
- Mortuary practices of Past Populations
- Paleobiology
Personal URL:
Terra Firme 66077830 – Belém, PA – Brasil
- Prehistory; Neolithic Archaeology; Chalcolithic; Chalcolithic populations; Bronze Age
- Bioarchaeology; Paleoanthropology; Osteology; Dental Anthropology; Anthropology; Osteoarchaeology; Archaeology; Paleopathology; Taphonomy; Physical Anthropology
- Mummies; Burial; Cemeteries; Cremation; Ceremonial Behaviour
- Age Determination by Teeth; Non-dietary use of teeth
- Industry on human bones; Skeletal Development; anatomical landmarks
- Heritage; Culture
Research group: Past Cultures and Populations
Institutional Address:
CIAS – Centro de Investigação em Antropologia e Saúde
Universidade de Coimbra
- Stable Isotope Analysis;
- Paleobiology;
- Paleopothology;
- Human Past Population;
- Funerary Anthropology;
Personal URL:
https://www.cienciavitae.pt/pt/0511-AA77-DD2D
Research group: Past cultures and populations
Institutional Address: Research Centre for Anthropology and Health (CIAS), Department of Life Sciences
Email: danielfidalgo15@gmail.com
Research interests:
Personal URL:
https://coimbra.academia.edu/DanielFidalgo
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Daniel_Fidalgo/info
Research group: Past Cultures and Populations
Institutional Address:
Department of Prehistory and Archaeology,
C/ Doña María de Padilla, s/n, 41004, Seville (Spain)
Email: garciarivero@us.es
Research interests:
- Anthropology,
- Archaeology,
- Cultural evolution,
- Prehistory,
- Systematics
Personal URL:
http://personal.us.es/
http://us.academia.edu/
Research group: Past Cultures and Populations 
Institutional Addresses:
Email: davidmiguelgoncalves@gmail.com
Research interests:
I have a special interest in Human Bioarchaoelogy, Forensic Anthropology and Chemical Anthropology with a special focus on ancient cremations and burned bones. I am currently coordinating the HOT Project. The main objectives are to improve our understanding of heat-induced changes to bone and teeth and to improve analytical methods that are specific to burned skeletal remains.
Personal URL:
https://cibio.up.pt/people/details/davidgonc
https://coimbra.academia.edu/DGon%C3%A7alves
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/David_Goncalves
http://www.degois.pt/visualizador/curriculum.jsp?key=5597260311810934
Research group: Past cultures and populations
Institutional Address:
Research Team Ciencias del Pasado y Patrimonio: Paleobiología y arqueología.
Instituto Andaluz del Patrimonio Histórico.
Email: garciav.esteban@gmail.com
Research interests:
I work in Archaezoology of Holocene archaeological sites. I am interested in the relationship between human and environment along the time. I also work in archaeometry analyzing ancient pollution throught the bioaccumulation of heavy metals in bones and in biostratinomy (experimental archaeology) to obtain current criteria to understand fossil assemblages.
Personal URL:
Research group: Past Cultures and Populations 
Institutional Address: Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra
Phone number: +351 239 240 711
Fax: +351 239 240 701
Email: cunhae@ci.uc.pt
Research interests:
- Forensic Anthropology;
- Human Evolution
Personal URL:
Research group: Past cultures and populations
Institutional Address: Research Centre for Anthropology and Health
Email: Fatty.almeida@gmail.com
Research interests:
- Paleopathology
Research group: Past cultures and populations
Institutional Address:
Research Centre for Anthropology and Health (CIAS), Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra
Email: filipa.cortesao@gmail.com
Research interests:
- Cremation,
- Roman Funerary Practices,
- Bioarchaeology,
- Biological Anthropology,
- Archaeology,
- Studying funerary rituals about inhumation and cremation,
- Death and Burial (Archaeology),
- Paleopathology,
- Roman Lusitania,
- Anthropology,
- Roman Necropolis,
- Roman burial practices
Personal URL:
https://coimbra.academia.edu/FilipaSilva
Research group: Past cultures and populations 
Institutional Address:
Departamento de Ciências da Vida
Centro de Investigação em Antropologia e Saúde
Email: ines.olsantos@gmail.com
Research interests:
- Forensic Archaeology
Personal URL:
Research group: Past cultures and populations 
Institutional Address:
Área de Antropología Física.
Departamento de Biodiversidad y Gestión Ambiental, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales.
Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, E-24071 León, Spain
Email: lgonzg08@estudiantes.unileon.es
Research interests:
- Dental Anthropology
Personal URL:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Laura_Gonzalez-Garrido
Research group: Past Cultures and Populations
Institutional Address:
Departamento de Ciências da Vida,
Universidade de Coimbra, 3000-056 Coimbra
Email: liliana.carvalho@student.uc.pt;
Research interests:
- Dental Anthropology
- Paleopathology
- Gender studies
- Alimentation studies
- Medieval studies
- Pre and proto-historic archaeology and anthropology
- Childhood stress and the DOAhD theory
Personal URL:
https://coimbra.academia.edu/LilianaMatiasCarvalho
Research Group: Past Cultures and Populations
Institutional Address: Centro de Investigação em Antropologia e Saúde (CIAS),
Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade de Coimbra
Email: linda_melo@hotmail.com
Research Interests:
- Physical Anthropology
- Bioarchaeology
- Paleopathology
- Dental Anthropology
- Taphonomy
- Funerary Practices
- Archaeology
- Prehistory-Protohistory
- Diet and Mobility
- Stable Isotope Analyses
Personal URL:
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8521-6059
https://independent.academia.edu/LindaMelo
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Linda_Melo2/contributions
Research group: Pa
st Cultures and Populations
Institutional Address:
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública.
Rua Leopoldo Bulhões 1480, DENSP Bonsucesso
21041210 – Rio de Janeiro, RJ – Brasil
Email: lucianasianto@gmail.com
Research interests:
- Conducts research in the areas of Parasitology and Ecology, on the following topics:
- Paleoparasitology,
- Paleoepidemiology,
- Paleoecology,
- Paleopathology, parasitism and host-parasite-environment relationships,
- Origin and evolution of parasitic infections.
Personal URL:
Research group: Past cultures and populations
Institutional Adress: Research Centre for Anthropology and Health
Email: luismarado@gmail.com
Research interests: Culture; Excavation; Prehistory Archaeology; Archaeology; Human Biology; Anthropology
Luís Miguel Marado is a Portuguese bioarchaeologist who specializes in biological anthropology. He graduated in Archaeology in 2007 (University of Minho, Portugal). His further training focused in biological anthropology, since he obtained an MSc in Human Biology and Evolution (2010) and a PhD in Anthropology (2015) from the University of Coimbra (Portugal). He collaborates in several research projects related to biological anthropology and archaeology.
Personal URL:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Luis_Miguel_Marado
https://uc-pt.academia.edu/Lu%C3%ADsMiguelMarado/CurriculumVitae
Research group: Past Cultures and Populations 
Institutional Address:
Muséum des Sciences Naturelles d’Angers, 43 rue Jules Guitton, 49100 Angers, France
Email: ampproa@gmail.com
Research interests:
• Comparative anatomy
• 3D imaging
• Vertebrate evolution
• Museum collections
Currently an Assistant Collections Manager at the Muséum des Sciences Naturelles d’Angers, France, I am a biologist specialising in skeletal anatomy and functional morphology, using imaging technology, 3D modelling and quantitative methods to investigate vertebrate variation and evolution. I have experience of complex data handling, managing volunteers, teaching, supervision, and public outreach.
Personal URL:
https://www.cienciavitae.pt/portal/en/C918-E150-079D
https://www.linkedin.com/in/miguel-pr%C3%B4a-27729895/?locale=en_US
Research group: Past Cultures and Populations
Email: rosa.cristina.ramos@gmail.com
Research interests:
- Radiology in anthropology
- Paleopathology and radiology
Research group: Past cultures and populations
Institutional Address: Universidad de Sevilla, Departamento de Prehistoria y Arqueología
Email: ruth.taylor@hotmail.com
Research interests:
- Archaeology;
- Archaeometry;
- Ancient trade;
- Ceramic analysis
Personal URL:
Research group: Past Cultures and Populations
Institutional Address: CRIA – Centro em Rede de Investigação em Antropologia,
Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Edifício ID, Av. Berna, 26, sala 3.09, 1069-061 Lisboa, Portugal
Research interests:
- Biological anthropology;
- Paleopathology and Paleohistopathology;
- Human evolution;
- Bone tissue;
- Infectious conditions;
- Trauma;
- Science outreach
Personal URL:
https://ielt.academia.edu/SandraAssis
http://www.degois.pt/visualizador/curriculum.jsp?key=9704195177851295
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sandra_Assishttps://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sandra_Assis
Research group: Past Cultures and Populations
Institutional Address:
Instituto Superior de Ciências Sociais e Políticas
Rua Almerindo Lessa, 1300-663 Lisboa, Portugal
Phone number: +351213600452
Email: msgarcia@iscsp.ulisboa.pt
Research interests:
Research interests include stress indicators and paleopathology of medieval and early modern Portuguese populations.
Ongoing Projects:
Urbanization and health in the transition between medieval and modern ages in Portugal: An assessment of indicators of morbidity and mortality of skeletal remains from different Portuguese cemeteries. [Non-financed project submitted to CAPP].
Personal URL:
https://www.cienciavitae.pt/pt/BF1D-9F53-F9E6
https://lisboa.academia.edu/SusanaGarcia
https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=55611770500
Research group: Past Cultures and Populations
Institutional Address:
Email: tiagotome@gmail.com
Research interests:
-
Bioarqueologia
-
Análise espacial em Arqueologia
Ongoing Projects:
“Bioarqueologia Amazônica – Construção de uma abordagem integrada em contextos funerários pré-coloniais”
Personal URL:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Tiago_Tome
Research group: Past Cultures and Populations 
Institutional Address: Research Centre for Anthropology and Health
Email: vcampanacho@gmail.com
Research interests:
I received my Bachelors Degree in Anthropology, from Faculty of Social and Humanities Sciences, New University of Lisbon in 2008, and my Masters degree in Evolution and Human Biology, from the Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Coimbra in 2010. My Masters dissertation consisted in determining if occupation and physical activity influenced the bone degeneration rate at the pubic symphysis and iliac auricular surface in 19th and 20th centuries male Portuguese of known age. I received my PhD from the Department of Archaeology, University of Sheffield (U.K.) in 2016. My PhD research consisted in determining if body size influenced the bone degeneration rate at the pelvic joints.
I have a keen interest at the field of age at death estimation, especially determining which factors influence bone degeneration in adults, in order to understand bone metamorphosis and how that may influence age at death estimation by skeletal remains. I also have been involved on the study of age estimation of immature individuals; cremated remains’ analysis; and the establishment of sex diagnosis methods. Currently, I am also involved in Paleopatological and epidemiological studies of past populations; and on the investigation of secular trends on femoral sexual dimorphism in Portuguese individuals since the 19th century.
Personal URL:
Research group: Past cultures and populations
Institutional Address:
Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Centro de Investigação em Antropologia e Saúde
Email: vitoria.duarte.ltn@gmail.com
Research interests:
Advanced formation on human evolution and skeletal biology. In particular: 1) natural history of man 2) man as a Primate 3) human adaptative capacity 4) human paleontology changes 5) brain evolution 6) interdisciplinary view of human evolution 7) interpretation of skeletal remains from archaeological contexts 8) human genetics 9) human ethology and ecology.
Personal URL:
Past Cultures and Populations is a new research group, created in January 2011, which resulted from the fusion of the groups: Anthropology of Past Populations and Studies in Material Culture.