Introduction to Statistical Analysis in Palaeontology and Archaeology

The course is designed to give a solid foundation in the core concepts and practical methods of statistical analysis with examples drawn from palaeontology and archaeology.

The course combines lectures with hands-on exercises, introducing participants to how statistics are used to describe data, test hypotheses, and make inferences about patterns in biological, paleontological, and archaeological datasets. A range of statistical techniques are covered, from basic descriptive statistics and visualisation (like histograms and box-plots) to inferential tests, including t-tests, ANOVA, regression, and multivariate exploratory analyses such as Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis.

Participants will gain not only an understanding of the theoretical basis of these methods, but also practical experience applying them using free, user-friendly software (PAST).

The course is tailored toward Master’s and PhD students, academic researchers, and private-sector professionals who need to apply statistical reasoning and analysis in their research or work in palaeontology, archaeology, and related disciplines.

Upon completion, students should be better equipped to formulate research questions statistically and to select and conduct appropriate analytical methods to address them.

Places are limited to 16 participants.