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| Home: Resources: Journal: Volume 1: Owsley: 3.2 Osteological Analysis |
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| Recovery and Analysis of Jamestown Rediscovery South Churchyard Burials from the 1999 Field Season Douglas Owsley, Karin Bruwelheide, and Rebecca Kardash | |||
3.2 Osteological Analysis Age: 40-49 years Sex: Female Ancestry: Euro-American This burial is the incomplete skeleton of a white female aged 40 to 49 years. The skull is represented by a nearly complete cranium and mandible. The bones of the midface are detached and cannot be reconnected to the vault due to erosion and loss of the zygomatic arches and the frontal processes of the molars and maxillae. The cranial vault exhibits exfoliation of the outer table, especially on the frontal and the anterior portion of the parietals. Measurements of the cranial vault were recorded. The postcranial skeleton is primarily represented by eroded long bones, several partial vertebrae and a partial pelvis. Five oval-shaped greenish-brown metallic stains from shroud pins are present on the cranial vault. Two stains are located on the superior aspect of the frontal. The best defined of these is located on the left half of the superior frontal immediately anterior to the coronal suture. It measures 30 mm A-P by 14 mm transverse. The other stain is located 20 mm to the right of bregma and extends onto the right parietal. A third small area of green discoloration measuring 37 mm S-I by 17 mm A-P is present on the middle of the left parietal. A larger stain measuring 46 mm by 28 mm is located at the juncture of the right lambdoidal and squamosal sutures on the posterior right parietal. A fifth stain measuring 37 mm by 17 mm is located on the left occipital squamous below the lambdoidal suture. The facial bones are represented by poorly preserved maxillae and malars. The mandible is mostly complete and in fair condition. Green discoloration is noted on the lingual surface of the anterior mandibular body and the root of the left lateral incisor. An area of brown discoloration and green staining is present on the inferior surface of the right horizontal ramus. The postcranial skeleton is represented by eroded long bones, first and second cervical vertebrae, three cervical vertebral bodies (3-6), thoracic vertebrae 10-12, lumbar vertebrae 1-5, and a partial pelvis. Partial left and right clavicles are present as are some bones from the hands and feet. However, these bones are eroded and in fair to poor condition. The major long bones shafts are mostly complete but eroded and joint surfaces are only partially represented. The skeleton has been treated with preservative, but is extremely fragile. Sex is based on features of the skull and pelvis. Overall, the cranium is gracile. Small mastoids and malars, lack of supraorbital brow ridge development, sharp superior rims of the orbits, and moderate development of the nuchal ridge all indicate the sex of a female. The mandible is gracile with a relatively obtuse gonial angle, small mandibular condyles and a rounded metal eminence. The innominates have wide greater sciatic notches, deep pre-auricular sulci, raised auricular surfaces and relatively small acetabulae, all of which are associated with females. Age is based on degenerative changes noted on the vertebrae and long bone joint surfaces. Although the teeth are mostly present, moderate to severe alveolar resorption has occurred and some teeth have been lost antemortem. The cancellous bone spacing is relatively compact indicating little loss of bone density. While there are few indicators of ancestry present, the cranium has a low forehead, a low vault height, small malars and a relatively narrow nasal width. The zygomaxillary sutures show recurvature and the transverse palatine suture is irregular. These features are typical of Colonial-period Europeans. Three-dimensional coordinates were collected from landmarks present on the intact cranial vault by Stephen Ousley of the National Museum of Natural History. A set of cranial measurements were calculated based on these coordinates. |
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Copyright 2000 by The Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities Comments Editor |
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