Univ., Diss.--Basel, 2002.

Univ., Diss.--Münster, 2002.

Konstanz, Universiẗat, Dipl.-Arb., 2002.

Zugl.: St. Gallen, Fachhochsch. für Wirtschaft, veränd. Diplomarbeit.

No / I have been eagerly awaiting the publication of this book since 2000, when, as a PhD student, I was lucky enough to be able to visit the St Mary Spital excavations where I knew quite a few of the excavators and osteologists. It was apparent at that early stage in the research of St Mary Spital that this was a very exciting and important excavation and skeletal assemblage. This book does not disappoint.

Difficult human childbirth is often explained to be the outcome of long term evolutionary hanges in the genus Homo resulting in an‘obstetrical dilemma,’defined as the compromise between the need for a large pelvis in birthing large brained babies and a narrow pelvis for the mechanics of bipedal locomotion (Washburn, 1960). The ‘obstetrical dilemma’ is argued to result in the risk of cephalopelvic disproportion and injury (Washburn, 1960). Current research challenges the premise of the obstetrical dilemma by considering the effects ecological factors have on the growth of the bony human pelvis (Wells et al., 2012; Wells, 2015, Stone, 2016; Wells, 2017). This thesis tests Wells et al.’s (2012) assertion that environmental factors, such as agricultural diets, compromise pelvic size and morphology and potentially affect human childbirth. The skeletal samples examined in this study are from medieval English populations with long established agricultural diets. Bony pelvic metrics analyzed are from the St. Mary Spital assemblage, and demographic and pathological data from St. Mary Spital were compared to the East Smithfield Black Death cemetery assemblage. The results show that there is some evidence for a relationship between chronic stress and compromised pelvic shape and size in both men and women, however the evidence is not conclusive that younger women with compromised pelvic dimensions were at an increased risk of obstructed labour and maternal mortality during childbirth. This suggests that childbirth was not likely a significantly elevated cause of death among younger women in medieval London as a result of cephalopelvic disproportion. The concept of a single obstetrical dilemma is flawed, as multiple obstetrical dilemmas other than cephalopelvic disproportion through pelvic capacity constrains are present, including ecological and nutritional stressors, childbirth practices and technologies, sanitation ractices, and social and gender inequality / Graduate

Universiẗat, Diss.--Münster, 2006.

Saint Elizabeth's spital in Pohořelec The extant altarpieces of the spital's chapel Abstract This thesis deals with the Saint Elizabeth's spital in Pohořelec near the monastery of Premonstratensians in Strahov. This spital was founded by the abbot Kaspar Questenberg and was located in the western part of Pohořelec. However, the original building wasn't preserved, because it had to yield to Prague's fortification in the 60's of the 17th century. Under the abbot Vincenc Makarius Frank the new spital was constructed. There was the chapel dedicated to the patron St. Elisabeth, which was mentioned in the written sources since the beginning of the hospital existence. During few years there were also ordered altarpieces. The contemporary literature associates only two paintings of saints with Saint Elizabeth's spital (St. Barbara and St. Rosalia). These paintings were placed on the side altars of the chapel and today are in the possession of the Royal Canonry of Premonstratensians at Strahov. Thanks to the preserved written sources, we were able to discover additional information of the spital's equipment and the chapel main altarpiece. This thesis summarizes the previous research and determines templates of altarpieces and their sources of inspiration. The attention is also aimed to the history of the spital,...

Universiẗat, Diss.--Münster, 2007.

Zugl.: Hannover, Universiẗat, Diss. V. Doege, S. Martini, 2008.