The aim of this thesis is to study the influence of status on the prevalence of non-specific stress in post-medieval London. This is researched by comparing the prevalence of two non-specific...Show moreThe aim of this thesis is to study the influence of status on the prevalence of non-specific stress in post-medieval London. This is researched by comparing the prevalence of two non-specific stress markers in and between two high-status populations (Chelsea Old Church and St. Bride’s Fleet Street) and two low-status populations (St. Bride’s Lower Churchyard and Cross Bones burial ground) from post-medieval London. The non-specific stress markers that were used in the comparisons were the prevalence of enamel hypoplasia and growth (through mean femur length). The high-status and low-status populations were compared on their own as well as together, combining Chelsea Old Church and St. Bride’s Fleet Street into one high-status population and St. Bride’s Lower Churchyard and Cross Bones burial ground into one low-status population. The four populations, as well as the aggregated populations, were divided into several age groups and the two sexes for (statistical) comparison. In the results it was found that over all, the high-status population of post-medieval London had less (severe) non-specific stress, but that when the populations were studied separately and divided into groups, the results became more nuanced. It was shown that the population from St. Bride’s Fleet Street experienced the least (severe) non-specific stress, the population from Cross Bones burial ground experienced the most (severe) non-specific stress and the populations from Chelsea Old Church and St. Bride’s Lower Churchyard experienced a similar amount (and severity) of stress.Show less
This thesis investigates the contribution of osteoarchaeological research in the reconstruction of past medieval infirmary populations. This is done by comparing demographic data (sex and age-at...Show moreThis thesis investigates the contribution of osteoarchaeological research in the reconstruction of past medieval infirmary populations. This is done by comparing demographic data (sex and age-at-death) and specifically selected pathological indicators (of certain infectious and metabolic diseases, systemic stress and trauma) derived from 664 skeletons buried at an infirmary in Haarlem, Delft, Kampen and Breda. The main results of this research are: 1) all samples constitute more males than females; 2) the age-at-death structure is ‘non-normal’ with the exception of one outlier. Additionally, all samples have a large adult/non-adult discrepancy; 3) the prevalence of pathological indicators have a more erratic nature with more various ‘levels of significance’ in respect to their observed (osteological) presence. Those accumulated results, separately accomplished by four different research teams, are interpreted within the national, local and archaeological (historical) contexts. The results point to a individualistic nature of infirmaries in general with demographic composition and pathological conditions differing per city. The combination of osteoarchaeological and historical contextual data has provided more insights in late medieval infirmary populations and has demonstrated the fruitfulness of interdisciplinary research.Show less
Thesis on the link between caries and diet when studying the Roman populations of the Western and Southern cemeteries in London with the use of the MOLA database.
