The Geochemical Profile of the Woman in the Iron Coffin, a Mid-19th C. Burial in Queens, New York City

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2019: General Sessions" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Illegal construction excavation in Queens (NYC) unearthed a mid-19th C. iron coffin and exposed the burial interred within. Known as the Woman in the Iron Coffin, the well-preserved burial was a young adult female of African ancestry who died of small pox. Here we provide stable isotopic (δ13C, δ15N, δ18O, 87Sr/86Sr, 206Pb/207Pb) and elemental (Pb, As) concentration analyses of a second premolar and one strand of hair to provide information about the woman’s mobility, diet and health during childhood and near the time of death. Compared to established δ18O, 87Sr/86Sr, and 206Pb/207Pb isoscapes of the US, we interpret her geographic location during the time of tooth formation as local to the NYC region. The woman’s dietary isotopic values (δ13C, δ15N) are similar to those of modern residents of NYC and to contemporary free Black communities from Mid-Atlantic states. Lead concentrations are high, suggesting close proximity to mid-19th C. wealth goods and also indicative of lead-caused health problems. We discuss how this geochemical profile bolsters archival-based interpretations of the identity of the Woman in the Iron Coffin and reveals aspects of her life as a free Black woman in Queens.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 23022