Conch Shells and Concrete: Differential Mortuary Treatment in Christiansted Cemetery, St. Croix, USVI
Author(s): Ashley H. McKeown; Alondra Rosario Zayas; Edith L. Collins; Kimberly L. Breyfogle; Nicolle M. Rivera Santos; Amber Vinson; Daisy Linsangan; Eileen Brickell; Kaylee Gaumnitz
Year: 2022
Summary
This is a poster submission presented at the 2022 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.
As part of the 2021 National Science Foundation funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates Exploring Globalization Through Archaeology site investigations of the St. Croix Leper Hospital (1888-1954), team members documented over 1200 graves in the Christiansted Cemetery. After identifying the names of hospital residents from census records (1890-1940) and the names of 240 individuals who died while living at the hospital from published death notices, we sought to locate their graves in Christiansted Cemetery, the local public cemetery. The team recorded location, grave type, marker style, and inscription, if present, for burials from 1888-1954 as well as those without dates. Where possible, name, date of birth, and date of death were recorded, although many graves did not have markers or inscriptions. The range of variation in grave types and marker styles indicates differential mortuary treatment associated with socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and age.
Cite this Record
Conch Shells and Concrete: Differential Mortuary Treatment in Christiansted Cemetery, St. Croix, USVI. Ashley H. McKeown, Alondra Rosario Zayas, Edith L. Collins, Kimberly L. Breyfogle, Nicolle M. Rivera Santos, Amber Vinson, Daisy Linsangan, Eileen Brickell, Kaylee Gaumnitz. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, Philadelphia, PA. 2022 ( tDAR id: 469584)
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Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology