2018 Documentary on Hanoi TV on archaeologist and composer Professor Nguyen Lan Cuong. Featuring interview by Melandri Vlok.
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For this episode, Melandri Vlok was interviewed about her work in East and Southeast Asian bioarchaeology. After various projects in the Philippines, Japan, Vietnam and now Mongolia, Melandri has extensive experiences excavating and analyzing human skeletons in a wide variety of contexts. She speaks to us about her PhD project in palaeopathology, the study of ancient disease. What methods are involved in studying health in the past? How can we tell a human skeleton from the past belonged to an individual experiencing disease? What disease patterns differ between different groups in time and space, and what role does climate play in influencing such differences?

https://newbooksnetwork.com/speaking-bones-unearthing-ancient-stories-of-illness-and-disease
From mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue to chronic bacterial infections such as yaws, Southeast Asia is home to a wide range of tropical diseases. For a long time, the arrival in the region of these and other dangerous tropical diseases was believed to be connected to the introduction of agriculture. But how long have these diseases really been around for? How are they connected to the region’s fluctuating social and environmental conditions? And how have they impacted the human populations of Southeast Asia over time?
Joining Dr Natali Pearson on SSEAC Stories, bioarchaeologist Dr Melandri Vlok sheds light on the complex science of paleoepidemiology and its use of advanced analytical practices such as DNA ancestry, skeletal studies, and teeth calculus to uncover ancient stories of illness and disease. She explains that far from being mere remnants of the past, archaeological human remains can help us understand the evolution and spread of pathogens, and inform strategies to curb the spread of infectious diseases in human populations.