Osteological course from the 24th of August till the 5th of September 2026, in Belgrade, Serbia
It is with great pleasure that, after a successful first edition, the Osteological Course is returning in September 2026!
Thinking about it? Wondering? Ready to learn?
Come join us — an inspiring experience awaits. Take a look at what people said about us and fill up the form at the end of the page!
Info and Schedule:
The hands-on osteological course will be held at the University Union lecture hall in New Belgrade (the central business district of Belgrade) from the 24th of August to the 5th of September 2025.
The course includes theoretical classes from 9 AM to 11 AM, followed by laboratory work from 11:30 AM to 5 PM, every day except Sunday. This schedule offers extensive practice in the laboratory, provides essential methodology training, and teaches students how to create an osteological report. By the end of the course, participants will present their findings, applying the skills they have developed.
On your day off (Sunday), you can explore the city by bike, swim and enjoy water sports at Ada Ciganlija Lake, visit the National Museum (free of charge) or visit Vinca, a famous prehistoric site on the outskirts of Belgrade (free of charge).
Schedule
1st day
9 AM-11 AM lecture: Introduction to human osteology
11 AM-11:30 Coffee break
11:30 AM - 1:30 PM Laboratory practice: skeletal anatomy
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Lunch break
2:30 PM – 5 PM Lateralization
2nd day
9 AM-11 AM Lecture: Anatomical position, tools and sheets.
11 AM-11:30 Coffee break
11:30 AM - 1:30 PM Laboratory practice: placing individual to anatomical position.
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Lunch break
2:30 PM – 5 PM Filing out lab sheets.
3rd day
9 AM-11 AM Lecture: Introduction to dental anthropology. Osteometry.
11 AM-11:30 Coffee break
11:30 AM - 1:30 PM Laboratory practice: Filing up odontogram (dental chart)
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Lunch break
2:30 PM – 5 PM Laboratory practice: skull and long bone measurement.
4th day
9 AM-11 AM Lecture: Estimation of age and sex.
11 AM-11:30 Coffee break
11:30 AM - 1:30 PM Laboratory practice: estimation of age.
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Lunch break
2:30 PM – 5 PM Laboratory practice: estimation of sex.
5th day
9 AM-11 AM Lecture: Non-adult individuals. Development, anatomy, estimation of age and sex.
11 AM-11:30 Coffee break
11:30 AM - 1:30 PM Laboratory practice: placing non-adult individuals in an anatomical position. Filling out lab sheets.
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Lunch break
2:30 PM – 5 PM Laboratory practice: Age estimation of non-adults.
6th day
9 AM-11 AM Lecture: Differentiation between human and animal remains. Work with fragmented remains. Minimal number of individuals.
11 AM-11:30 Coffee break
11:30 AM - 1:30 PM Laboratory practice: Differentiation between human and animal remains.
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Lunch break
2:30 PM – 5 PM Laboratory practice: Fragmented remains. Minimal number of individuals.
7th day
9 AM-11 AM Lecture: Cremated remains.
11 AM-11:30 Coffee break
11:30 AM - 1:30 PM Laboratory practice: Anatomical differentiation of cremated remains.
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Lunch break
2:30 PM – 5 PM Laboratory practice: Measurements, estimation of age and sex, and estimation of temperature remains were exposed. Filling out laboratory form.
8th day
9 AM-11 AM Lecture: Human variations and paleopathology.
11 AM-11:30 Coffee break
11:30 AM - 1:30 PM Taphonomic changes versus paleopathological changes.
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Lunch break
2:30 PM – 5 PM Introduction to paleopathology.
9th day
9 AM-11 AM Lecture: Infectious diseases
11 AM-11:30 Coffee break
11:30 AM - 1:30 PM Metabolic and endocrine diseases
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Lunch break
2:30 PM – 5 PM Laboratory practice: Analysis of pathological changes in the skeleton, including accurate descriptions and photography of these changes.
10th day
9 AM-11 AM Lecture: Traumatic injuries: Types of fractures. Dislocations. Interpersonal violence. Amputation. Signs of autopsies. Trepanations. Intentional deformations.
11 AM-11:30 Coffee break
11:30 AM - 1:30 PM Antemortem, perimortem and postmortem trauma.
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Lunch break
2:30 PM – 5 PM Visiting the Forensic museum within the Institute of Forensic Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine in Belgrade.
11th day
9 AM-11 AM Lecture: Degenerative diseases
11 AM-11:30 Coffee break
11:30 AM - 1:30 PM Application of paleoradiologic techniques in paleopathology.
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Lunch break
2:30 PM – 5 PM Laboratory practice. Differential diagnosis.
12th day
9 AM-11 AM Lecture: Final remarks. Comorbidity. Developmental Origin of Health and Disease (DOHaD).
11 AM-11:30 Coffee break
11:30 -1:30 Paleopathological report
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Lunch break
2:30 PM – 5 PM Laboratory practice: presentation of findings
IMPORTANT: The course is designed for beginners and those with some intermediate knowledge of osteology. All practices will use real human skeletal remains.
Price of 12-day intensive course (including snacks, coffee, and lunch):
- regular price: 320 €
- returning participant*: 256 €
* Returning participants are those who’ve participated in our online courses or the field school once before and decided to come back again. You can apply to any of our online courses at Online Courses Page and get a discount on both the selected course and the field school.
We provide the option to pay in instalments—reserve now and pay later!
Important: You can cancel for free until May 1st; after that, the reservation fee will be non-refundable.
Management of the course: Aita Bioarchaeology (Barcelona, Spain)
Accommodation:
Please note that the organizers will NOT COVER the cost of accommodation. However, we can assist you in finding a place to stay near the course locations. The average cost is €15-20 per night for a dorm room or €25 per night for a single room with a private bathroom. If you would like to take advantage of this option, please indicate your interest in the form provided.
Getting there:
University Union, where the course will take place, is well-connected to both the airport and the city center.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Fc8jznhmKLLULsc48
Important:
The cost of education, teaching materials, and food during the course (including snacks, coffee, and lunch) will be covered by the Organization.
The cost of arrival to Belgrade is NOT included in the price. Possible visa costs for students of countries that need a visa for Serbia are also NOT included.
Currency – The currency in Serbia is Serbian Dinar (RSD). Besides the Serbian dinar, no other currency is officially accepted in Serbia, although major currencies like euros, US dollars, and pounds can easily be exchanged for dinars at the exchange offices in Nikola Tesla Airport or one of many exchange offices in Belgrade.
Here you can find Serbian Dinar Exchange Rates
https://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/convert/?Amount=1&From=EUR&To=RSD
Visa - Take note that Serbia is not part of the European Union (EU), so please, make sure your document is valid for entry in Serbia.
If you are from a country which is a member state of the EU, from Switzerland, Norway and Island you can travel with your ID card as well as with a valid passport. If you are from the United Kingdom or the USA you can enter Serbia with your passport.
Here you can check visa issues for your country - https://www.mfa.gov.rs/en/citizens/travel-serbia, section Visa regime.
What Participants Said About The Course
A glimpse at last year's feedback
🔬 Join the Osteological Course in Belgrade! 🏛️
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https://forms.gle/1ZXaFbq1uPgSrxRP9