The Bioarchaeology of Disability: A population-scale approach to investigating disability, physical impairment, and care in archaeological communities.

Objective: This research introduces 'The Bioarchaeology of Disability' (BoD), a population-scale approach which allows for a comprehensive understanding of physical impairment and disability in past communities through a combination of palaeopathological, funerary, and documentary analyses.

Methods: The BoD consists of three phases: 1) Contextualisation includes period-specific literature review; 2) Data collection consists of palaeopathological re-analysis of all individuals with physical impairment and collation of mortuary treatment data; and 3) Analysis integrates the gathered data, literature review, and theoretical frameworks to explore contemporary perceptions of disability.

Materials: The BoD is demonstrated through an investigation of physical impairment and disability in later Anglo-Saxon England (c.