| |
| author |
Emily Graves
| | title |
Life and Death During Industrial Philadelphia:
Skeletal Health and Pathological Conditions of the 1800s
| | abstract |
This is an analysis of a collection of a minimum number of nine incomplete skeletal
remains, discovered from the site of the cemetery of the old First Baptist Church in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, dated to the late 18th century and the early 19th
century. Through close examination of this sample, it was estimated the biological profile,
taphonomic changes, presence of discrete traits, and pathological conditions, including
antemortem trauma. Bioarchaeological and paleopathological methods and theory were
used and instrumental in this research. This was a group of mostly young individuals, with
22.2% (2/9) of the sample under the age of 10 years at the time of death. 33.3% (3/9) of
the sample were young adults, 33.3% (3/9) of the sample were middle-aged adults, and
11.1% (1/9) of the sample was an older adult. The adult sample was comprised of mostly
women, with 42.9% (3/7) being female, 28.6% (2/7) being probable female, and 28.6%
(2/7) being probable male, while the two non-adults were of undetermined sex. Using the
stature equations for an assumed white population, the mean height of the sample was
160.63 cm (range: 152.16 cm – 170.89 cm, SD " 7.31 cm). Using the stature equations for
an assumed black population, the mean height of the sample was 158.07 cm (range: 150.28
cm – 167.41 cm, SD " 6.71 cm). Despite the effect of taphonomy and the relatively low
degree of skeletal completeness (mean: 55.7%, SD " 12.4%), we were able to observe
antemortem trauma (n=1), oral pathology (n=3), os acromiale (n=1), a cystic process (n=1),
as well as rheumatic (n=1), congenital (n=1), vascular (n=1), and possible infectious
diseases (n=2) in 77.8% (7/9) of the sample. The individual with trauma exhibited healed
fractures of the left tibia and in one right rib. Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis
(DISH), one possible case of pulmonary tuberculosis, one unspecific infection, and one
case of spina bifida occulta were the pathological conditions noted. This group of
individuals appeared to be relatively healthy in life, though their health ultimately ceased
with death. The main restrictions of this study were the small sample size and the limited
access to complementary techniques (e.g., radiology) during research.
| | school |
The College of Liberal Arts, Drew University
| | degree |
B.A. (2021)
|
| advisor |
Maria Masucci
|
| committee |
Carina Marques
Tammy Windfelder
|
| full text | EGraves.pdf |
| |
