Public Outreach in Human Bioarchaeology: Bridging Research and Public Engagement

Yeshaswini Rajagopalan1*, Kumar Akhilesh1, Sutonuka Bhattacharya1, Prachi Joshi1, and Shanti Pappu1,2*

Bioarchaeology and palaeopathology offer distinctive opportunities for public engagement by connecting skeletal evidence to human health, care, and lived experience in the past. This paper presents a practical outreach module designed to communicate palaeopathological concepts effectively to children, adult learners, and professional stakeholders as part of bioarchaeological public outreach. The module is grounded in clear pedagogical objectives, including developing observational skills, introducing diagnostic reasoning, and fostering ethical awareness in the study of human remains. Engagement is achieved through inquiry‑led activities, guided interpretation of pathological indicators, and narrative frameworks that situate skeletal evidence within broader social and biological contexts. The design prioritises efficiency and adaptability, using a modular structure that can be scaled across different audiences, timeframes, and venues without compromising academic rigour. Practical considerations central to bioarchaeological outreach – such as ethical display, informed consent, cultural sensitivity, and the use of replicas or digital surrogates are embedded throughout. The paper outlines delivery strategies, learning outcomes, and evaluation approaches, demonstrating how this model supports meaningful knowledge exchange while remaining feasible for researchers with limited resources. This framework provides a transferable approach for bioarchaeologists seeking to integrate public engagement and pedagogy into research dissemination and conference‑based outreach.