Biological Anthropology Research Centre
The Biological Anthropology Research Centre (BARC) houses the second largest collection of human skeletal remains in an archaeology department in the UK.
The specialises in the analysis of human skeletal remains, both ancient and modern. All members of staff are active academic researchers and the centre undertakes a wide range of contract work on behalf of various archaeological units, museums, and other organisations.
The BARC collections
The collections of human remains curated by the BARC are large, varied, and cover a considerable time span from the Neolithic to the 19th century.
It is the largest collection of human skeletal remains used for teaching in the UK. Most of our collections come from England, and were excavated by different field units or research projects as a result of the planning process.
Prehistoric
- Wetwang Slack, East Yorkshire (Bronze Age and Iron Age, c.450 individuals)
- Barton-under-Needwood (Bronze Age cremations)
Early Medieval
- Raunds, Northamptonshire (10th to 11th centuries, 357 individuals)
- Eccles, Kent (7th century and later, 171 individuals)
- Sancton, East Yorkshire (5th to 6th centuries, 23 cremations)
- Crayke, North Yorkshire (9th to 10th centuries, 21 individuals)
Medieval
- St. James and St. Mary Magdalene, Chichester, West Sussex (leprosarium and alms house, early 12th to 17th century, 374 individuals)
- St. Giles, Brough, North Yorkshire (rural hospital, 92 individuals)
- Blackfriars, Gloucester (Dominican Friary, 1246 to 1539 AD, 127 individuals)
- Hereford Cathedral (lay cemetery including, two large plague pits, Late Saxon to Medieval, c.1200 individuals)
- Box Lane, Pontefract (lay cemetery, 88 individuals)
- Towton (mass grave related to the Battle of Towton, 1461 AD, 47 individuals)
Post Medieval
- New Bunhill Fields, Southwark, London (urban 19th century, 514 individuals)
- St Peter's Wolverhampton (urban, 19th century, 150 individuals)
- Hickleton, South Yorkshire (rural, medieval and post medieval, 28 individuals)
- Helmsley, North Yorkshire (rural Quaker cemetery, 19th century, 7 individuals)
- Tanyard, Bromyard, Herefordshire (urban, Quaker cemetery early 18th century, 11 individuals)
- Villiers Street, Sunderland (urban, 19th century, 364 individuals)
International collections
- Niah Caves, Sarawak, Malaysia (Neolithic, 56 individuals)
In addition, small numbers of skeletons or skeletal elements from many different archaeological sites are curated by the BARC. Most of these have interesting pathological conditions, and are used extensively in our teaching and research.
The skeletal collections held by the BARC are continuously added to with populations coming to the laboratory for research or for analysis on a contractual basis, many of which are returned to museums and archaeological contractors following analysis.
Access for researchers
The Biological Anthropology Research Centre (BARC) curates the second largest collection of human skeletal remains in a University in the UK. Researchers at PhD level and above are welcome to apply to access our skeletal collection. MSc students from other institutions will not be granted access to our skeletal collection. They are welcome, however, to consult our paper archive.
Many of our collections are currently on loan from other holding institutions and museums, and researchers should be aware that details of their research will be passed on to these institutions. In the case of destructive sampling, these institutions may also review applications.
Please email Jo Buckberry at j.buckberry@bradford.ac.uk if you have any questions or require any further details.