Lietuvos istorijos institutas

The article aims to introduce palaeodemography, the study of the demography of ancient populations based on information estimated from human remains. The article is composed of four parts. First, the basics of demography are briefly described, giving the methodological background of palaeodemography and a couple of examples to illustrate that interest in demography has very deep roots in the study of prehistoric and historic human populations. Next, it defines the concepts of palaeodemography and closely related disciplines. Third, it describes the main developmental stages of paleodemographic studies from their origin to the present, focusing mainly on the scientific experience of Western countries. Finally, it presents the main issues, possible solutions, and research trends in modern palaeodemography.