From Optimism to Opportunity: New Perspectives on the Osteological Paradox

ABSTRACT

The Osteological Paradox has had an immeasurable impact on bioarchaeology. It has spurred introspection, increased scientific rigor, and encouraged a suite of new and valuable approaches and methods to deal with the challenges it raises. Contrastingly, it has also been perceived as insurmountable, or a problem that simply needs to be acknowledged but not dealt with. In this synthesis, we discuss past and current approaches to the Osteological Paradox, the promise we believe agent‐based modeling holds for future research, and broadly contextualize the Paradox within a philosophically optimistic outlook. Our synthesis represents a range of diverse perspectives from bioarchaeology and philosophy, and seeks to identify a path forward. We conclude that the Osteological Paradox represents a springboard more than a hurdle; one that continues to propel the discipline forward and supports the ongoing integration of new technologies to answer questions about past societies.