Evidence for Antemortem and Perimortem Trauma among Single

Evidence for Antemortem and Perimortem Trauma among Single Individuals Recovered from the 2013 Milwaukee County Institution Poor Farm Cemetery Excavations David M. Strange University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Symposium: People that no one had use for, had nothing to give to, no place to offer: The Milwaukee County Institution Grounds Poor Farm Cemetery 80 th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, San Francisco, 15 -19 April 2015.

Context of Milwaukee County Institutional Grounds • The portion of the cemetery excavated in 2013 was in active use 1882 -1925 • Roughly 10, 000 immigrants flood the American workforce during the burgeoning Industrial Age seeking new opportunities • Poverty, Sickness, and Death were characteristics acquired AFTER coming to the United States

Antemortem versus Perimortem Fractures Gunshot fracture of the right parietal without evidence for healing Fracture of the left zygomatic with evidence for healing Photo Credit: Sean P. Dougherty 2011

Single Adults Recovered in Single Burial Contexts Indeterminate Sex Male Probable Male Female Probable Female Indeterminate Age 16 Young Adult Middle Adult Old Adult 4 14 7 14 16 3 13 8 13 1 4 57 41 12 12 31 18 6 4 Age and Sex Profile of Entire Sample

Frequency of Antemortem Fractures Number of Individuals with Antemortem Injuries 3 Percent of Age/Sex Category with Antemortem Fractures 14% Percent of Total Sex Category with Antemortem Fractures 2% Young Adult Male Middle Adult Male Old Adult Male Young Adult Female Middle Adult Female Old Adult Female Indeterminate Young Adult Indeterminate Middle Adult Indeterminate Old Adult Indeterminate Adult Total 21 98 30 31% 15% 49 30 5 18 6 0 37% 20% 0% 9% 3% 0% 24 4 17% 7% 10 1 10% 2% 16 4 4 0 25% 0% 7% 0% 14 2 14% 5% 7 2 29% 5% 16 3 19% 7% 294 73 - -

Distribution of Antemortem Fractures Male Female Element/ Age Category Scapula Cranium Ulna Femur Radius Ribs Clavicle Tibia Hand Foot Innominate Humerus Fibula Patella Age Category Female Young Adult Female Middle Adult Female Old Adult Indetermina te Adult Female Male Young Adult 1 1 1 Male Middle Adult 3 4 2 2 3 10 4 4 6 3 1 1 1 Male Old Adult 4 1 1 2 9 2 1 2 2 1 1 Indeterminate Adult Male 1 2 1 1 1 Cranium Femur Hand Ribs Foot 1 0 1 2 1 1 1 2 1

Frequency of Perimortem Fractures Number of Individuals with Perimortem Fractures 4 Percent of Age/Sex Category with Perimortem Fractures 19% Percent of Total Sex Category with Perimortem Fractures 2% Young Adult Male Middle Adult Male Old Adult Male Young Adult Female Middle Adult Female Old Adult Female Indeterminate Young Adult Indeterminate Middle Adult Indeterminate Old Adult Indeterminate Adult Total 21 98 7 7% 4% 49 30 5 2 2 0 4% 7% 0% 1% 1% 0% 24 1 4% 2% 10 0 0% 0% 16 4 1 1 6% 25% 2% 2% 14 0 0% 0% 7 1 14% 2% 16 0 0% 0% 294 19 - -

Distribution of Perimortem Fractures Males Element/ Age Category Cranium Femur Radius Ribs Tibia Humerus Fibula Male Young Adult 2 3 1 1 Male Middle Adult 1 3 1 1 1 1 Male Old Adult 1 1 1 Indeterminate Adult Male 1 1 1 Females Age Category/Eleme nt Cranium Scapula Humerus Ulna Radius Tibia Fibula Femur Female Young Adult Female Middle Adult Female Old Adult Indeterminate Adult Female 1 1 1 1 1 1

Trends and Future Research • Results are similar to the analysis of the 1991 -92 excavations without the inclusion of postmortem trauma • Chi-square tests of statistical significance regarding interpopulation and intrapopulation comparisons • Distribution of fractures prevalent on the postcranial skeleton • Tabulation of the number of fractures • High frequencies of fractures among the male population • Classification of fractures into blunt, sharp, and projectile trauma types

Acknowledgements My involvement in the MCIG Cemetery Project and this subsequent research would not be possible without the support and encouragement of the following individuals: Dr. Patricia B. Richards Emily Mueller Epstein Catherine R. Jones Eric B. Burant As well as the entire MCIG field and lab crews Thank you.