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Miss Lindsay Powell
(email at l.a.powell@durham.ac.uk)
Research Topic
Childhood Health and Care in Roman London: the Isotopic and Palaeopathological Evidence.
Abstract
Roman London has been extensively excavated, particularly over the last two decades, and much of this work has uncovered substantial cemetery sites within and around the City. However, while much of this evidence (archaeological and skeletal) has been presented summarily it has yet to be the subject of interpretive analysis until now. Interpretations of living environment, population composition and health within Roman London are scarce.
The aim of this project is to develop an understanding of childhood life and death in Roman London through the direct analysis of the physical remains of the children who lived there. This will be achieved by utilising the Wellcome Osteological Research Database to undertake an osteological analysis of a sample of non-adult individuals: including information on growth, stature, and non-specific indicators of physiological poor health (e.g. cribra orbitalia, dental enamel defects, periosteal new bone growth). Skeletal remains will also be examined directly and samples collected and analysed for carbon and nitrogen isotopes in order to elucidate diet and weaning. The results of the isotopic and osteological analyses will be integrated to examine the relationship between diet and skeletal indicators of health stress and mortality.
This project is a NERC funded research studentship in collaboration with the Museum of London.