BeFrail

Our PhD student Steffi Vassallo has recently published an updated manual providing step by step instructions on how to create photogrammetry and videogrammetry 3D models in Agisoft Metashape Professional Edition.

You can check it out at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/410602655_Updated_instructions_manual_for_the_creation_of_photogrammetry_and_videogrammetry_3D_models_in_Agisoft_Metashape_Professional_Edition.

We are happy to share that our PhD student Zélia Rodrigues will present some findings from her doctoral research at the V Congresso da Associação dos Arqueólogos Portugueses, which will be held at the University of Minho between the 18th and 21st of November.

- PODIUM
- Title: Para além do “Ossário”: Desafios Interpretativos e Proposta de um Workflow para a Classificação de Deposições Secundárias
- Zélia Rodrigues, Anne Malcherek, Vítor Fonseca, Francisca Alves Cardoso

Our PhD student Steffi Vassallo will present some of her doctoral findings at the 27th Annual Conference of the British Association for Biological Anthropology (12-13th September):

- PODIUM
- Title: Photograph quantities and capture methods in 3D palaeopathology: assessing model accuracy, reliability and texture
- Steffi Vassallo, Carlos Moreira, Claudia Quaresma, Francisca Alves Cardoso

- POSTER
- Title: Exploring a rare case of a probable cementoblastoma in a 19th-century individual from Porto, Portugal
- Steffi Vassallo, Sandra Assis, Manuel F. C. Pereira, Francisca Alves Cardoso

And that's a wrap on the 2026 BeFRAIL webinar series!

We extend a massive thank you to all of our wonderful speakers Pınar Durgun, Paulo Bernardes, Rute Rebocho, Luna Beerden, Dario Pérez Vidal, Karen Cooke, Dejing Du, Maria Giovanna Belcastro, Varsha Warrier, Teresa Nicolosi and Sofie-Kristin Schendzielorz for the quality and breadth of their excellent talks.

If you missed any of the talks, fear not! We will shortly start working on the recordings, which will be uploaded in the coming months to the BeFRAIL Educast channel.

In the meantime, why not have a look at several of the recordings from last year's series or read the paper that came out of it. 👀

BeFRAIL Educast channel: https://educast.fccn.pt/results?search=befrail
Short paper: https://doi.org/10.25660/ae1z-mp33

Our final speaker of the 2026 BeFRAIL webinar series is Sofie-Kristin Schendzielorz, who will present “When Bones Go Digital – Rethinking Biomechanical Adaptation Studies Through 3D Modelling” next Friday between 13:00 - 13:30 WEST.

If you are interested in following this exciting talk you can register for free tickets at 5535fd89-fc82-4056-8c00-fc9f540418ab@c7d581ae-0469-48c9-bb08-312c631b0246." rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/5535fd89-fc82-4056-8c00-fc9f540418ab@c7d581ae-0469-48c9-bb08-312c631b0246.

Are you heading to the XXIV Congress of the Spanish Society of Physical Anthropology taking place this week between the 15th and 17th of July in Madrid? We have some interesting results to share with you!:

- PODIUM:
Title: Exposición a mercurio y reconstrucción de la dieta como vehículo para entender la fragilidad
Ainé Francos, Olalla López-Costas, Antonio Martínez Cortizas, Anne Malcherek, Sandra Assis, Steffi Vassallo, Zélia Rodrigues, Francisca Alves Cardoso

📢 You can now register for the rescheduled talk by Sofie-Kristin Schendzielorz titled “When Bones Go Digital – Rethinking Biomechanical Adaptation Studies Through 3D Modelling”.

⏰ 17/July, 13:00 WEST ⏰

👉 Registration at:
5535fd89-fc82-4056-8c00-fc9f540418ab@c7d581ae-0469-48c9-bb08-312c631b0246" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/5535fd89-fc82-4056-8c00-fc9f540418ab@c7d581ae-0469-48c9-bb08-312c631b0246

This week on the BeFRAIL webinar series Maria Giovanna Belcastro will present “Human Remains in Anthropology: Legacy, Challenges, and Perspectives”.
⏰ This Friday, 3/July, 13:00 WEST ⏰

We hope to see you there! You can get your free tickets at:
d5cf40a5-ab8c-423d-8188-81c1cd40f43b@c7d581ae-0469-48c9-bb08-312c631b0246" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/d5cf40a5-ab8c-423d-8188-81c1cd40f43b@c7d581ae-0469-48c9-bb08-312c631b0246

📣 New paper alert!

The BeFRAIL PI Francisca Alves Cardoso and co-authors have recently published their article titled “When Bones Blur the Lines: Ancient DNA Validation of Morphological S*x Estimation Traits and the Challenges of Population-Specific Dimorphism” in the Emerging Topics in Population Genetics and Molecular Anthropology special issue in Genes.

Co-authors: Cláudia Gomes, Sara Palomo-Díez, César López-Matayoshi, Steffi Vassallo, Anne Malcherek, Zélia Rodrigues, Sandra Assis, Nicholas Márquez-Grant.

Check it out here: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/17/7/726.

This week we are happy to welcome Dejing Du who will present "Craniofacial Effects of Prepubertal Castration: A 3D Reconstruction Study of Ming–Qing Eunuchs from Beijing" ⏰ this Friday, 26th June, 15:00 WEST ⏰

Sign up for free at:
9f4fbcb7-c803-4a00-857f-cc3beea2a26c@c7d581ae-0469-48c9-bb08-312c631b0246" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/9f4fbcb7-c803-4a00-857f-cc3beea2a26c@c7d581ae-0469-48c9-bb08-312c631b0246