A trauma frequency analysis was undertaken on a skeletal sample (n = 75) from the skeletal collections of the medieval Augustinian Priory of St. Mary Merton and the post-medieval lower cemetery of St. Bride’s Church. Fourty-four individuals exhibited trauma on one or more cranial elements. Cranial bones were arranged in different groupings for analysis: inclusive samples of 100% complete, at least 75% complete, at least 25% complete, entire sample; and independent samples of 100% complete, 75 - <100% complete, 25 - <75% complete, and <25% complete. Crania were categorized as 100% complete and incomplete. Four frequencies were calculated (frequency of lesions, of individuals with lesions, of individuals with multiple lesions, and the number of lesions per injured individuals) for each category and cranial element. The results illustrate a general trend towards a decrease in frequency as more fragmentary material is included, illustrating that including the more fragmentary material may bias the results towards underestimating trauma frequencies. However, Fisher’s exact tests do not show statistically significant differences between frequencies in the independent samples analysis, except for individuals with lesions on the right nasal bone. Further research into the effect of fragmentation and poor preservation in skeletal research, cranial trauma research in particular, is required. / Graduate

This project employs a modified version of the Bioarchaeology of Care (BoC) in an analysis of Burial 1 from the Mississippi State Asylum, Jackson, MS. Burial 1 is a skeletal individual recovered from the historic MSA cemetery. Notably, Burial 1 exhibits recidivistic cranial trauma in the form of cranial depression fractures (CDFs) and significant entheseal changes in the upper extremities. However, because there is no identifying information associated with Burial 1, interpretations of the caretaking they may have received, both prior to and after institutionalization, include short- and long-term outcomes from their community and the MSA. Additionally, Burial 1’s CDFs and subsequent traumatic brain injury likely increased their risk of being institutionalized and created complications for them in the MSA. Despite the limitations of this study, future research applying a modified BoC could lead to otherwise unknown information about the lived experiences of institutionalized patients in historic institutions of care.