Missing, presumed dead : searching for infant mortality in excavated historic cemeteries, and finding high casualties in the archaeological record
Archaeologically excavated historic cemeteries are a unique and largely untapped dataset for answering questions about past populations using empirical methods. One such question centers around the assumptions that infant mortality was high in societies without modern fertility control and that infant remains are more likely to be poorly preserved and recovered from archaeological contexts than adult bones. To assess this, excavated osteological populations of European descent from historic cemeteries (1600-1950 AD) were studied for their age composition as compared to historical records and Model life tables. These datasets were then considered in their taphonomic contexts to determine which factors most affect preservation and recovery. The resulting calculation of the mortality and preservation of each population were compared statistically with traditional high mortality estimates, and appliedexperimentally to cemetery populations with an unknown number of infants and children. Osteologically derived infant mortality was found to range most commonly from 10-35%, with a 10-15% loss between burial and recovery. These figures were found to be useful in assessing early life mortality in more ancient populations.
Murphy, Amanda
Archaeology ; Demography ; Historic Cemeteries
Missing, presumed dead : searching for infant mortality in excavated historic cemeteries, and finding high casualties in the archaeological record. Archaeologically excavated historic cemeteries are a unique and largely untapped dataset for answering questions about past populations using empirical methods. One such question centers around the assumptions that infant mortality was high in societies without modern fertility control and that infant remains are more likely to be poorly preserved and recovered from archaeological contexts than adult bones. To assess this, excavated osteological populations of European descent from historic cemeteries (1600-1950 AD) were studied for their age composition as compared to historical records and Model life tables. These datasets were then considered in their taphonomic contexts to determine which factors most affect preservation and recovery. The resulting calculation of the mortality and preservation of each population were compared statistically with traditional high mortality estimates, and appliedexperimentally to cemetery populations with an unknown number of infants and children. Osteologically derived infant mortality was found to range most commonly from 10-35%, with a 10-15% loss between burial and recovery. These figures were found to be useful in assessing early life mortality in more ancient populations.
missing presume dead search infant_mortality excavate historic cemetery find high archaeological_record archaeologically excavate historic cemetery unique largely_untapped dataset answer_question past_population use empirical method question center around assumption infant_mortality high society without modern fertility control infant remain likely poorly preserve recovered archaeological_context adult bone ass excavate osteological population european descent historic cemetery study age composition compare historical_record model life table datasets consider taphonomic context determine factor_affect preservation recovery result calculation mortality preservation population compare statistically traditional high mortality estimate cemetery_population unknown number infant child derive infant_mortality find range commonly loss burial recovery figure find useful assess early_life mortality ancient_population