The Cremains Workshop — Summer Intensive Course on the Analysis of Cremated Human Remains

Overview of the course

Dates: 23 June – 4 July 2025  

Venue: Faculty of Archaeology, University of Warsaw (Krakowskie Przedmieście 26/28)

This two-week, 60-hour* summer course offers advanced, practice-oriented training in the recovery, documentation and laboratory study of human cremated remains. Morning sessions (30 h) provide a rigorous theoretical foundation: the cultural and taphonomic context of cremation, excavation and sampling protocols, heat-induced skeletal changes, quantitative approaches to fragmentation and oxidation, and the research potential of radiocarbon dating, stable-isotope and other laboratory techniques. Afternoon laboratories (30 h) give participants hands-on experience with urned burials from Polish archaeological sites (Late Roman to Early Medieval), guiding them through micro-excavation, database-driven recording (modified McKinley method) and interpretation of minimum number of individuals, biological profile and pyre technology.

Instructor and supervision
The workshop is directed by Dr Elżbieta Jaskulska, a bioarchaeologist with more than a decade of international teaching and research experience in cremains analysis. Continuous small-group supervision (max. 10 participants) ensures individual feedback and skills development.

Intended audience & prerequisites
The course is aimed at postgraduate students, doctoral candidates and professionals in bioarchaeology, forensic anthropology or related fields who already possess fundamental human-osteology skills and wish to specialise in cremation studies.

Learning outcomes
Graduates will be able to

• apply best-practice field and laboratory workflows for cremated remains;
• recognise heat-related bone and dental alterations and assess their forensic or archaeological significance;
• generate and interpret quantitative data (fragmentation, oxidation, MNI, biological profile);
• evaluate the suitability of cremains for advanced laboratory analyses (¹⁴C, isotopes, aDNA);
• prepare publication-ready reports that meet current international standards.

Structure, credits and assessment
The programme combines lectures (mornings) with laboratory workshops (afternoons) across ten working days; successful completion (practical exam + written test) carries 5 ECTS and a University of Warsaw certificate.

Key advantages

•  Access to a unique training collection of archaeological cremations from Poland’s cremation-rich past.
•  A balanced bioarchaeological and forensic perspective, rarely available in standard curricula.
•  Networking with an international cohort (previous editions attracted participants from Europe, North America and Asia).
•  Immersion in Warsaw’s historic cityscape and the resources of Poland’s largest archaeological faculty.

Registration & fees
Applications are handled through the University of Warsaw Online Application System (IRK). Places are limited and allocated on a rolling basis; early registration is therefore advised.

For syllabus details, tuition fees and accommodation support, please consult the workshop homepage (https://www.archeologia.uw.edu.pl/en/the-cremation-workshop/) or contact fieldschool.ia@uw.edu.pl.

*60 contact hours arranged as 30 h lectures + 30 h laboratory practice.

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Course fee

4000 PLN

Bank account: PL93 1160 2202 0000 0005 7085 9941
SWIFT/BIC: BIGBPLPWXXX

 Admissions criteria

The course is intended for bachelor's and master's students or bachelor's degree graduates who do not yet have a master's degree.

It is obligatory to register for the course in the Internet Recruitment of Candidates system. Applications will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Each session will commence only if a minimum of seven participants is reached. If all spots are filled, applicants will be placed on a waiting list. The maximum number of participants is 15.

Documents required during registration:

• a cover letter to be sent to the email address: fieldschool.ia@uw.edu.pl
• confirmation of payment for the course or statement of obligation to pay

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Language Requirement

The course will be conducted in English, so a communicative level of English proficiency is required.