NEW PROGRAM 2026
OFFERED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF PISA
The Summer School in Osteoarchaeology and Paleopathology is an academic program aimed at training students in anthropological and paleopathological laboratory methods. It is an outstanding opportunity for students to gain experience in bioarchaeological investigation by working side-by-side with leading researchers in the field.
Dates
Period: 22 June – 10 July 2026
Application Deadline: 13 April 2026
Credits
Earning of 10 undergraduate ECTS credits through the University of Pisa
SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAM
The school is designed to provide all participants with
an in-depth knowledge of the key theoretical background, methodological approaches, and the necessary practical skills through hands-on experience of working with archaeological human skeletal remains. Participants will learn how to reconstruct the biological profile of past individuals, including how to obtain the greatest amount of information on the environment, lifestyle, and diseases that afflicted past populations. Each student will have the opportunity to clean, restore and study skeletons from archaeological contexts. The activities will be carried out at the Laboratory of Paleopathology (within the Medical School of the University of Pisa).
The Summer School will take place from June 22 to July 10.
Lectures will be given daily (2 hours per day). Laboratory activities on human skeletal remains will be carried out daily as well, Monday through Friday, between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm, with an hour lunch break.
The official language of the Summer School is English and no knowledge of Italian is required.
ELIGIBILITY
Admission is limited to 13 students
Eligible participants will be admitted following a first come first served rule with subsequent payment of the tuition fees. Applications may be closed ahead of the scheduled application deadline in case of early reaching of the maximum number of eligible students.
LOCATION
The Summer School will be held on campus, in Pisa, at Laboratorio di Paleopatologia, via Derna, 1/via Roma, 55.
AIM
The school is designed to provide all participants with an in-depth knowledge of cleaning, restoring and analysing ancient human skeletal remains. Biological profile reconstruction is aimed at obtaining the greatest possible amount of information on the environment, lifestyle, and diseases that afflicted past populations.
WHO CAN APPLY
Students in Physical Anthropology, Archaeology, Bioarchaeology, Forensic Science, Paleopathology and allied disciplines at undergraduate and graduate levels.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
The Summer School has no formal prerequisites; students will be fully trained for all the activities they experience.
Knowledge of English language is required.
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
- Eligible participants will be admitted following a first come first served rule with subsequent payment of the tuition fees.
- Applications may be closed ahead of the scheduled application deadline in case of early reaching of the maximum number of eligible students
Required documents:
- Identity Document (PASSPORT in case you are a foreign student)
- Enrolment Form
- Curriculum vitae
- Proof of tetanus vaccination
All the documents must be in pdf format, in order to upload them on the portal when required.
Application has to be submitted via Alice portal following the instructions of the “How to apply” page.
For any questions concerning payments, enrolment and required documents contact: simona.minozzi@unipi.it
