Mortality and Calamity: Catastrophes, Death, and Burials in St. Croix

Summary

This is a poster submission presented at the 2022 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

As an island living under colonial rule for almost 400 years, St. Croix has faced many injustices. Its geographical location and climate contribute to a growing list of events, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, and epidemics, that have deadly effects on the population. Using burial notices published in the St. Croix Avis, demographic data recorded from graves in Christiansted Cemetery, and historical documents, we statistically analyze mortality rates on St. Croix from 1897 through 1901 during the Danish colonial period to identify patterns in deaths and correlate them to catastrophic events and seasonal diseases. By documenting demographic data and mortuary treatment of burials within the selected timeframe, we investigate the colonial response to death for individuals of varying backgrounds. This information sheds light on how colonial healthcare responded to different catastrophes in St. Croix and how Crucians sought to mitigate the effects of these catastrophes and disease on their communities.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• 2022 SHA Poster Submissions   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2022

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology