Anatomization (Other Keyword)

DOCUMENT Citation Only Alex J. Garcia-Putnam.

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Studying Human Behavior within Cemeteries (General Sessions)" , at the 2021 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology. In death, bodies that were autopsied or used for medical dissection or experimentation, are seen as transformed from individuals into specimens, their identities and personhood removed. This destructive act was commonplace across the US during the 19th century for the sake of medical advancement.  Becoming a...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Katharine C. Woollen. Kathleen D. Stansbury.

This is a poster submission presented at the 2025 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology. Wisconsin approved “An Act to Legalize Dissection” in 1868, which declared unclaimed bodies could be sent to medical societies for anatomical examination. In Milwaukee, cadavers could be buried at the Milwaukee County Poor Farm Cemetery (MCPFC). Based on osteological assessment, a total of 28/160 (17.5%) females have documented craniotomies and/or postcranial cut marks. To further...