ADBOU - Unit of Anthropology, University of Southern Denmark

Hjem
Danmark
Odense
ADBOU - Unit of Anthropology, University of Southern Denmark

We curate approx. 20.000 skeletons from Danish prehistoric to modern periods and do research and teaching in biological anthropology and forensic anthropology.

05/08/2026

💀🕵 Two deaths. Two skeletons. One mystery.

At this year’s ATU Syd Summer Camp, we had the opportunity to challenge 54 talented high school students through the workshop “The Testimony of the Dead – From Skeletal Analysis to Autopsy Findings.”

Together with Tonny, a forensic technician at the Department of Forensic Medicine, we developed a realistic case that allowed participants to step into the role of investigators. Working with skeletal remains, autopsy findings, and case materials, they were tasked with solving two realistic death investigations.

The result was six hours filled with curiosity, discussion, hypotheses, and keen observations. It is always inspiring to meet young people with such a strong interest in science and research.

✨A big thank you to ATU Syd for the invitation and for bringing together so many enthusiastic young minds for a week of academic immersion, learning, and community✨

11/05/2026

Friday the 9th of April, our research assistant Rikke Fur attended the SoYA (Symposium of Young Archaeologists) conference in Leiden, the Netherlands – an international conference aimed at providing young scholars with a supportive platform for presenting their research, receiving constructive feedback, and expanding their professional networks. 🌿👩‍🔬🗣

Rikke participated with the poster “Individual and collective in the Late Neolithic: Mortuary practices, treatment of the dead, and demography based on a stone cist (hellekiste) from Langeland, Denmark”, based on her master’s thesis, which focuses on a bioarchaeological analysis of a Late Neolithic burial from Langeland.
Through her work, Rikke seeks to shed light on some underexplored aspects of the archaeological record, including fragmented skeletal material and the study of stone cists, which have historically received limited attention within the field. The project connected closely with the conference theme, “Archaeology on and of the Margins”, as fragmented skeletal material was for many years considered to have limited research value, and comprehensive overviews of Danish stone cists remain relatively scarce. 💀🦴

Even though she could not attend in person, our research assistant Cecilie Mattsson also contributed with a poster based on her master’s thesis: “Investigating syphilis in historical populations: ICP-MS trace chemistry and CT-scan morphology in samples from Denmark”. 🦠🔬

ADBOU was also represented in a presentation by Teresa Lustig. She presented her thesis research on leprosy in medieval Denmark, where she is using a new quantitative methodology for assessing skeletal lesions caused by the disease on the skeleton. Her presentation focused on how her research topic took her to Denmark, where she collected her data at ADBOU, as there is currently little to no evidence for leprosy in the medieval archaeological human skeletal material of the Netherlands; this absence is quite striking, and she discussed the possible reasons for this as well as potential avenues for future research on the topic. 💀🦠

01/05/2026

🌏 Workshop in Mongolia: Skeletons, research, and capacity building 🦴

In late March, Cecilie, Jesper, and George traveled to Mongolia to conduct an intensive 14-day workshop in collaboration with Mongolian and Danish institutions. The workshop focused on communication and knowledge sharing about skeletal material, and how skeletons can tell us about life in Mongolia’s past.

The program combined presentations of new analytical methods, technical training, and joint discussions on capacity building. A key component was work on database development, where Cecilie contributed to initiating the creation of a new database for Mongolian skeletal collections.
In addition, the team worked with a new method for age estimation in adult skeletons and discussed research needs, collection management, and future investments.

A recurring theme was that sustainable research is not only about infrastructure and equipment, but to a large extent about education and training at all levels. Building local expertise is essential for both research and the preservation of Mongolia’s unique skeletal material.

Beyond the workshop, the stay also offered rich cultural experiences, and overall, it was 18 highly engaging and educational days of academic immersion, collaboration, and cultural exchange.

🤝 Thank you to everyone involved for an inspiring and important collaboration.

18/04/2026

Kom og besøg ADBOU idag til "Forskningens Døgn" på SDU! 🥼🔬

Vi har lavet en lille guide i videoen herunder, til hvordan du finder vej til Restmedicinsk Institut og ADBOU! Her vil du både finde lokalerne hvor dagens små oplæg med eksperterne foregår, samt se en masse spændende skeletter, som vi har fundet frem fra kælderen til dagens anledning! 💀🦴

10/04/2026

Congratulations to Vicki on her new title! 🎓🎉🍾

Yesterday was a truly special day, as archaeologist/biological anthropologist Vicki Rytoft Lillegaard Kristensen successfully defended her PhD dissertation entitled “Population Heterogeneity in the Medieval Town of Viborg, Denmark”.

A remarkable achievement and a strong defense – WOW! ✨

At ADBOU, we have greatly enjoyed following Vicki’s professional journey and impressive development over the years.

We wish her our warmest congratulations and every success in the future!

Adresse

Campusvej 55
Odense
5230

Hvad er åbningstiderne?

Mandag	09:30 - 15:00
Tirsdag	09:30 - 15:00
Onsdag	09:30 - 15:00
Torsdag	09:30 - 15:00
Fredag	09:30 - 15:00

Telefon

+4565502345

Internet side

http://www.adbou.dk/

Underretninger

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