A literature review of skeletal biology and human morphology research examining the prehistory of sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Molecular genetics has taken the preeminent position in the search for the ancestors of modern humans in sub-Saharan Africa. The usefulness of DNA in identifying lineage and familial relatedness is unquestioned but lost in this rush to use genetics to sort out human ancestry is the large body of recent and current research in skeletal biology. This has become particularly important as molecular genetics moves away from identifying the ancestry of living individuals to extracting DNA directly from archaeological skeletons. Skeletal biology provides a range of data that genetics cannot access, including life history and events at death. Skeletal biology also provides testable hypotheses about the past because of its close association with archaeology. This paper reviews the non-genetics literature published since the 1970’s which discusses analyses of human skeletal material from sub-Saharan Africa. It is aimed at genetics researchers who are generally unfamiliar with the publication vehicles frequented by skeletal biologists and archaeologists.

Keywords:

• ancient DNA
• skeletal biology
• bioarchaeology
• sub-Saharan prehistory

Acknowledgements

This paper is the direct outcome of discussions held with colleagues at the DNArobi Conference in May 2023 at the National Museums of Kenya in Nairobi, Kenya. I am very grateful to the organisers of DNArobi who provided funding for me to attend the conference. I am also grateful to the audience at the conference who raised issues about accessing non-genetics literature. After the conference I corresponded with Phillip Righmire about his introduction to the world of craniology as a post-graduate student, and with Austin Reynolds about the value of this kind of research for geneticists.