Saige Kelmelis

Dr. Kelmelis is a biological anthropologist who specializes in bioarchaeology, paleodemography, paleoepidemiology, and forensic anthropology. Her research involves the study of human skeletal and dental remains to reconstruct aspects of life, health, disease, identity, and demography. She integrates methods and theory in osteology, paleodemography, epidemiology, and hazard analyses to explore the interplay between human biocultural behavior and infectious disease. She also uses methods from bioarchaeology to reconstruct life histories and health outcomes in modern and past populations through cementochronology. Kelmelis is also a primary investigator on a collaborative project with other professionals, students, and tattoo artists in South Dakota to understand how this ancient practice of body modification affects health outcomes in modern people. Current and on-going research includes continuing to explore mortality risk and disease in monastic, urban, and rural medieval Denmark, the application of cementochronology to reconstruct modern human life histories in Bangladesh, paleodemographic and life history reconstruction of the ancient Maya in the Upper Belize Valley, advancing statistical models in paleodemography, and the short- and long-term impacts of tattooing and body modification on health in past and present populations.

Biological anthropology, forensic anthropology, bioarchaeology, past health and epidemics, anthropological demography, evolution, and tattooing.

Reconstructing life, health, disease, and demography from skeletal remains (bioarchaeology, paleodemography); hazard analyses and Bayesian statistics in human demography; cementochronology and human life histories in Bangladesh; effects of urbanization, climate change, and agricultural growth on health and disease in medieval Denmark; paleodemography and health in the ancient Maya; tattooing and health.

Citations listed below are presented in a standardized, modified format for display purposes only. They do not necessarily reflect the preferred style and conventions of the faculty member or discipline.

Izzo, Victoria, Biggie, Michael, Walden, John P., Orfila, Martin, Corey, Kasey E., Kelmelis, Saige, Rioux, Rose, Skaggs, Shelden, Tingstrom, Ellen, Jannson, Gustov, Meyer, Brett, Castellano, Jorge, Tzib, Frank K., Tzib, Abdon, Beardall, Antionio, Guerra, Rafael A., and Warinner, Christina. A Final Report of the 2023 & 2024 Excavations at Structure B1, Lower Dover. In The Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance Project A Report of the 2024 Field Season.
Green Mink, Kirsten, and Kelmelis, Saige. Multiple Interments with Mammiforms: Excavation and Analysis of a Cist Burial in Plaza 1 of the Orchard Group, Baking Pot. In The Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance Project A Report of the 2024 Field Season.
Kelmelis, Saige, Walden, John P., Green Mink, Kirsten, Hoggarth, Julie A., Ebert, Claire E., Freiwald, Carolyn, Watkins, Tia B., Izzo, Victoria S., Biggie, Michael, Thompson, Amy E., Guerra, Rafael A., Warinner, Christina, and Awe, Jaime J.. Biocultural Taphonomies and Analysis of an Emerging Terminal Classic (750–900 CE) Maya Deathway. Vol. 32, Iss. 1 Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory, 2025. (DOI: 10.1007/s10816-024-09689-y)
Kelmelis, Saige. Paleodemography . In Encyclopedia of Social Measurement, Second Edition. Iss. 2 Elsevier , 2024.
van Doren, Taylor P., and Kelmelis, Saige. Contextualizing pandemics: Respiratory survivorship before, during, and after the 1918 influenza pandemic in Newfoundland, 70-84. Vol. 181, Iss. 1 American Journal of Biological Anthropology, 2023. (DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24678)
DeWitte, Sharon N., Wang, Ziyu R., and Kelmelis, Saige. Plagues and Pandemics. In The Routledge Handbook of Paleopathology, 576-592. Routledge, 2022. (DOI: 10.4324/9781003130994-34)
Kwiecien, Ola, Braun, Tobias, Brunello, Camilla F., Faulkner, Patrick, Hausmann, Niklas, Helle, Gerhard, Hoggarth, Julie, Ionita, Monica, Jazwa, Christopher S., Kelmelis, Saige, Marwan, Norbert, Nava-Fernandez, Cinthya, Nehme, Carole, Opel, Thomas, Oster, Jessica L., Persoiu, Aurel , Petrie, Cameron, Prufer, Keith, Saarni, Saija M., Wolf, Annabel, and Breitenbach, Sebastian . What we talk about when we talk about seasonality - A transdisciplinary review. Earth-Science Reviews, 2022.
Kelmelis, Saige, and DeWitte, Sharon N.. Urban and rural survivorship in Pre- and Post-Black Death Denmark, 103089. Vol. 38 Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2021. (DOI: 10.1016/j.jasrep.2021.103089)
Kelmelis, Saige, Kristensen, Vicki R., Alexandersen, Mette, and Dangvard Pedersen, Dorthe. Markets and Mycobacteria – a Comprehensive Analysis of the Influence of Urbanization on Leprosy and Tuberculosis Prevalence in Denmark (AD 1200-1536). In The Bioarchaeology of Urbanization. Springer Nature, 2020.
Alexandersen, M, Bjerregaard, M M., Kelmelis, Saige, and Tarp, P. From the gallows to the grave - investigating the cause of death of seven skeletons from Renaissance Odense., 305-317. Vol. 76, Iss. 4 Anthropologischer Anzeiger, 2019. (DOI: 10.1127/anthranz/2019/0959)
Kelmelis, Saige, and Pedersen, Dorthe D.. Impact of urbanization on tuberculosis and leprosy prevalence in medieval Denmark, 149-166. Vol. 76, Iss. 2 Anthropologischer Anzeiger, 2019. (DOI: 10.1127/anthranz/2019/0962)
Kelmelis, Saige, Price, Michael H., and Wood, Jim. The effect of leprotic infection on the risk of death in medieval rural Denmark, 763-775. Vol. 164, Iss. 4 AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, 2017. (DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23314)

Anderson, Amy, Kelmelis, Saige, Price, Michael H., and DeWitte, Sharon, An update to Usher’s multistate model for paleodemography: Accounting for skeletal lesion formation processes reduces estimates of mortality risk associated with skeletal indicators of childhood stress. Presented at the 95th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Biological Anthropologists, Denver, CO. (March 2026)
Schwartz, Ellie, and Kelmelis, Saige, Historic Demography of Bluff View Cemetery, Vermillion, South Dakota. Presented at the 95th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Biological Anthropologists, Denver, CO. (March 2026)
Kelmelis, Saige, and Price, Michael H., Improved illness-death model for paleodemography. Presented at the 95th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Biological Anthropologists, Denver, CO. (March 2026)
Merchant, McKenzie, Byrne, Emma, Rioux, Rose, , Green Mink, Kirsten, Walden, John, Hoggarth, Julie, Awe, Jaime, and Kelmelis, Saige, Sex Differences in Survivorship and Mortality in the Classic Maya Site of Baking Pot, Belize. Presented at the 95th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Biological Anthropologists, Denver, CO. (March 2026)
Kelmelis, Saige, Kristensen, Vicki, and Dangvard Pedersen, Dorthe, Bioarchaeological approaches to studying leprosy and tuberculosis statuses as evidence of differential health and death treatments in medieval Denmark. Presented at the European Archaeological Association, Belgrade. (September 06, 2025)
Kelmelis, Saige, Walden, John, Green Mink, Kirsten, Hoggarth, Julie, Ebert, Claire, Freiwald, Carolyn, Watkins, Tia, Izzo, Victoria, Biggie, Michael, Thompson, Amy, Guerra, Rafae, Warinner, Christina, and Awe, Jaime, Bound for Sacrifice? Archaeothanatological approach to interpreting ventrally placed legs flexed (VPLF) Maya burials in the Belize River Valley. Presented at the 94th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Biological Anthropologists, Baltimore, MD. (March 15, 2025)
Koncan, Caelan, Perrotte, Jessica , Shattuck, Eric, Kelmelis, Saige, and Lynn, Christopher, Is tattoo flu real? The influence of pre-existing health and tattoo color and size on sickness behavior. Presented at the 94th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Biological Anthropologists, Baltimore, MD. (March 14, 2025)
Wilde, Kira, Kelmelis, Saige, Walden, John, Hoggarth, Julie, and Awe, Jaime, Patterns of childhood stress and mortality from the ancient Maya site of Lower Dover. Presented at the 94th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Biological Anthropologists, Baltimore, MD. (March 14, 2025)
Rioux, Rose, Kelmelis, Saige, Walden, John, Hoggarth, Julie, and Awe, Jaime, Sex differences in adult frailty at the Late-Terminal Classic (c. 750-1000 CE) Maya site of Lower Dover. Presented at the 94th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Biological Anthropologists, Baltimore, MD. (March 14, 2025)
van Doren, Taylor, Kelmelis, Saige, and Sattenspiel, Lisa, Survivorship improvements after the 1918 influenza pandemic in Alaska. Presented at the 94th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Biological Anthropologists, Baltimore, MD. (March 14, 2025)
Walden, John, Beardall, Antonio, Tzib, Frank, Martinez, April, Castellanos, Jorge, Bardalez, Kevin, Pinelo, Karla, Cadle, Serene, Tzib, Abdon, Corey, Kasey, Biggie, Michael, Skaggs, Sheldon, Hoggarth, Julie, Freiwald, Carolyn, Ebert, Claire, Kelmelis, Saige, Richter, Kristine, Guerra, Rafael, Warinner, Christina, and Awe, Jamie, FORGING INTERNATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH COLLABORATIONS AT LOWER DOVER, BELIZE. Presented at the Society for American Archaeology (SAA), New Orleans. (April 15, 2024)
Walden, John, Kelmelis, Saige, Martinez, April, Tzib, Frank, Hoggarth, Julie, and Warinner, Christina, Forming a Cohesive Understanding of the Rise and Fall of a Classic Maya Polity Through Museum-based Research and Archaeological Fieldwork. Presented at the TAG 44: CLIMATE ARCHAEOLOGY: TEMPORALITIES AND ONTOLOGIES, University of East Anglia. (December 18, 2023)
Kelmelis, Saige, Colard, Thomas, Naji, Stephan, Pubert, Eric , Awe, Jamie, and Hoggarth, Julie, New Cementochronology (TCA) Protocol for Taphonomically Altered Teeth: An Archaeological Case Study from the Upper Belize Valley (c. 250-900). Presented at the 80th annual Plains Anthropological Society Conference, Rapid City. (October 20, 2023)
Bundy, Brandie, Hofer, Makenzie, Marker, Anna, Roth, Kylie, Salazar, Gabriella, Claussen, Cory, Anderson, Ethan, Anderson, Annie, Lynn, Christopher, Shattuck, Eric, Perrotte, Jessica, and Kelmelis, Saige, Down with the Sickness: Qualitative Study of 'Tattoo Flu' Symptoms, Causative Factors, and Impact on Future Tattoos in South Dakota. Presented at the 80th annual Plains Anthropological Society Conference, Rapid City. (October 19, 2023)
Walden, John P., Martinez, April, Tzib, Frank, Castellanos, Jorge, Cadle, Serene, Bardelez, Kevin, Beardall, Antonio, Pinelo, Karla, Kuhlman, Karina, Kelmelis, Saige, Richter, Kristine, Hoggarth, Julie, Warinner, Christina , and Awe, Jaime, Forming Reciprocal Archaeological Learning Partnerships in Belize. Presented at the Belize HENB Kulcha symposium, Belize. (October 10, 2023)
Kelmelis, Saige, Colard, Thomas, Naji, Stephan, Pubert, Eric, Hoggarth, Julie, and Awe, Jaime, Methodological Advances in Cementochronology (TCA) for Taphonomically Altered Samples. Presented at the American Association of Biological Anthropologists 92nd Annual Conference, Reno, NV. (April 20, 2023)
Marker, Anna, Bundy, Brandie, Hofer, Makenzie, Salazar, Gabriella, Claussen, Cory, Anderson, Ethan, Anderson, Annie, Lynn, Christopher, Shattuck, Eric, Perrotte, Jessica, and Kelmelis, Saige, Down with the sickness: a qualitative analysis of 'tattoo flu' and its effects on future tattoo motivations. Presented at the Human Biology Association Annual Meeting 2023, Reno. (April 18, 2023)
Kelmelis, Saige, and Price, Michael H., Age filtration in paleoepidemeological research: a cautionary tale and ways forward. Presented at the Odense Occasional Osteology Seminar (OOOS), Odense, Denmark. (June 13, 2022)
Kelmelis, Saige, and Price, Michael H., Age filtration in paleoepidemeological research: a cautionary tale and ways forward. Presented at the American Association of Biological Anthropologists (AABA), Denver, CO. (March 23, 2022)
van Doren, Taylor, and Kelmelis, Saige, Respiratory survivorship before, during, and after the 1918 influenza pandemic in Newfoundland: Implications for populations in transition. Presented at the American Association of Biological Anthropologists (AABA), Denver, CO. (March 23, 2022)
McManus, Carmella, Wilde, Kira, Hoggarth, Julie, and Kelmelis, Saige, Tales in teeth – dental analyses of childhood health, mortality, and status from the Early and Late Classic Maya Belize (CE 200-900). Presented at the American Association of Biological Anthropologists (AABA), Denver, CO. (March 23, 2022)
Kelmelis, Saige, and DeWitte, Sharon N., Mortality risk and survival in pre- and post-Black Death Denmark. Presented at the 90th annual meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists (AAPA), Baltimore, MD. (April 2021)
Kelmelis, Saige, Kristensen , Vicki R., Alexandersen, Mette, and Dangvard Pedersen, Dorthe, Markets and Mycobacteria – a Comprehensive Analysis of the Influence of Urbanization on Leprosy and Tuberculosis Prevalence in Denmark (AD 1200-1536). Presented at the 89th American Association of Physical Anthropologists Annual Meeting, Los Angeles, CA. (April 2020)
Kelmelis, Saige, and Dangvard Pedersen, Dorthe , Impact of urbanization on tuberculosis and leprosy prevalence in medieval Denmark. Presented at the 88th American Association of Physical Anthropologists Annual Meeting, Cleveland, OH. (April 22, 2019)
Kelmelis, Saige, Price, Michael H., and Wood, James W., The effect of leprotic infection on the risk of death in medieval rural Denmark. Presented at the 21st Annual Meeting of the European Anthropological Association, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, DK. (August 25, 2018)
Kelmelis, Saige, Price, Michael H., and Wood, James W., The effect of leprotic infection on the risk of death in medieval rural Denmark. Presented at the 7th Annual Meeting of the Bioarchaeologists' Northeast Regional Dialogue, Quinnipiac University, CT. (October 2017)
Kelmelis, Saige, Price, Michael H., and Wood, James W., The effect of leprotic infection on the risk of death in medieval rural Denmark. Presented at the 86th American Association of Physical Anthropologists Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA. (April 21, 2017)
Kelmelis, Saige, Buried within the abbey walls: paleopathological examination of skeletal remains from a rural, Danish Cistercian monastery. Presented at the 42nd Paleopathology Association Annual Meeting, St. Louis, MO. (March 25, 2015)
Kelmelis, Saige, Out of cold storage: inventory and osteological analysis of Hrdlička’s back dirt remains from the Chaluka site. Presented at the 45th Annual Meeting of the Northeastern Anthropological Association, Franklin Pierce University, NH. (October 2011)

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