Blue Bridge Lane
&
Fishergate House
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Current understanding regarding the life and health of prehistoric and historic populations is primarily based on archaeological findings, since few documentary sources describe living conditions and diseases in the past. Surviving contemporary accounts frequently focus on the wealthier circles of society, thus often providing a biased view of the past. As a result, the analysis of skeletal remains from archaeological excavations is the primary source for the reconstruction of past population profiles and biographies.
The aim of the analysis was to characterise the Roman and medieval populations interred at Fishergate House, and to provide an insight into the lives of the inhabitants of this part of York. This included the determination of sex, age and stature of the inhumed skeletons, as well as a description and diagnosis of any pathological lesions, with the aim of advancing current knowledge on gender and age divisions, and differences in occupation, wealth, status, health care and diet. Analysis of the skeletons aims to provide information on urbanisation, pollution, health, hygiene, mortality and medical care. Information gained on attitudes to death and the body, ritual treatment, beliefs and social structure has an impact on our understanding of medieval society. Comparisons between populations from different cemeteries may indicate change, divisions and assimilations of all these aspects over time and space.
A further objective was to identify the age and sex of the cremated individuals. Information regarding the burning processes and funerary rituals of the cremated bone was sought, with the aim of expanding current understanding of Roman cremation techniques and funerary rituals.
The large quantity of disarticulated human bone recovered from grave fills, intercutting features and the stratified layer overlying the burials was scanned for age, sex and pathology, as well as to allow the integration of the bone counts of disarticulated remains with the 'minimum number of individuals' (MNI) for the excavated part of the cemetery.
apc > monographs > blue bridge lane & fishergate house > artefacts & environmental > human bone: introduction
