Kori Filipek k.l.filipek-ogden@durham.ac.uk
PGR Student Doctor of Philosophy
Creating communities of care: Sex estimation and mobilityhistories of adolescents buried in the cemetery of St. MaryMagdalen leprosarium (Winchester, England)
Filipek, K.L.; Roberts, C.A.; Montgomery, J.; Gowland, R.L.; Moore, J.; Tucker, K.; Evans, J.A.
Authors
Professor Charlotte Roberts c.a.roberts@durham.ac.uk
Emeritus Professor
Professor Janet Montgomery janet.montgomery@durham.ac.uk
Professor
Professor Rebecca Gowland rebecca.gowland@durham.ac.uk
Professor
Joanna Moore j.f.moore@durham.ac.uk
Isotope Research Technician
K. Tucker
J.A. Evans
Abstract
Objectives: This study examines the biological sex and geographical origins of adolescents buried at the St Mary Magdalen leprosarium (Winchester, UK). The data are combined with archaeological and palaeopathological evidence to broaden the understanding of mobility and its relationship to leprosy and leprosaria in Medieval England. Materials and Methods: Nineteen individuals (~10–25 at death) with skeletal lesions diagnostic of leprosy were analyzed using standard osteological methods. Amelogenin peptides were extracted from five individuals whose biological sex could not be assessed from macroscopic methods. Enamel samples were analyzed to produce 87Sr/86Sr and δ18O values to explore mobility histories. Results: Amelogenin peptides revealed three males and two females. Tooth enamel samples provided an 87Sr/86Sr ratio range from 0.7084 to 0.7103 (mean 0.7090, ±0.0012, 2σ). δ18OP values show a wide range of 15.6‰–19.3‰ (mean 17.8 ± 1.6‰ 2σ), with corresponding δ18ODW values ranging from −9.7‰ to −4.1‰ (mean −6.3 ± 2.4‰ 2σ). Discussion Amelogenin peptide data reveal the presence of adolescent females with bone changes of leprosy, making them the youngest confirmed females with leprosy in the archaeological record. Results also show at least 12 adolescents were local, and seven were from further afield, including outside Britain. Since St. Mary Magdalen was a leprosarium, it is possible that these people traveled there specifically for care. Archaeological and palaeopathological data support the notion that care was provided at this facility and that leprosy stigma, as we understand it today, may not have existed in this time and place.
Citation
Filipek, K., Roberts, C., Montgomery, J., Gowland, R., Moore, J., Tucker, K., & Evans, J. (2022). Creating communities of care: Sex estimation and mobilityhistories of adolescents buried in the cemetery of St. MaryMagdalen leprosarium (Winchester, England). American Journal of Biological Anthropology, 178(1), 108-123. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.24498
Journal Article Type | Article |
---|---|
Acceptance Date | Jan 19, 2022 |
Online Publication Date | Feb 26, 2022 |
Publication Date | 2022-05 |
Deposit Date | Dec 2, 2021 |
Publicly Available Date | Jun 22, 2022 |
Journal | American Journal of Biological Anthropology |
Electronic ISSN | 2692-7691 |
Publisher | Wiley |
Peer Reviewed | Peer Reviewed |
Volume | 178 |
Issue | 1 |
Pages | 108-123 |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.24498 |
Public URL | https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1222809 |
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Copyright Statement
© 2022 The Authors. American Journal of Biological Anthropology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.
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