Final answer:
The term 'biography' refers to a story of a life, often gleaned from historical documents, artifacts or, metaphorically, bones in an archaeological context, which can show an individual's life and cultural beliefs.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term biography literally translates as the story of a life told by the bones. In History, this term refers to a nonfiction story about a person's life, usually written by someone else. The study of bones, particularly in an archaeological context, can provide a biography of sorts—a story told by the remains about a person’s life, culture, beliefs, and sometimes their social status. For instance, the bone plaques from Olbia with the sequence of words 'life-death-life' and 'truth' highlight the prominence of Orphic ideas and possibly an Orphic lifestyle among the people from the fifth century. Moreover, the linkages between these plaques and the worship of Dionysos Bakcheios suggest beliefs in reincarnation and an ecstatic religious character. Such findings help us piece together the historical and cultural contexts of past civilizations, much like a biographical story reconstructs the timeline of an individual's life.