2002 Summer NSF Student Projects
Mary Elizabeth Kovacik [University of Notre Dame] & Bethany Nummela [Concordia College]
ABSTRACT -- The sub-adult collection from the Monastery of St. Stephenís in Jerusalem was studied for stress indication via enamel hypoplasias on both deciduous and permanent teeth. Initially, it was thought that both types of teeth would show evidence of stress, however only the permanent teeth showed stress frequencies. After comparison with other population results, it was determined that the canines were the best source of a collection frequency. The lower right permanent canines give this Byzantine Period collection, dated near the fourth century, BC, a 100% enamel hypoplasia frequency.  Deciduous hypoplasia frequency is at 0%, indicating lack of detrimental stress before the age of one. When compared with older populations, this rate seems normal. However, when compared with modern populations, this zero frequency is different. Hopefully, other research on this collection combined with archaeology and history of the site, will allow for application of the biocultural model, which will explain why a subadult collection is found in this urban monastery. .
Anne Holden [University of Missouri-Columbia] & Jaime Schwebach [New Mexico State University]
ABSTRACT -- Approximately one-third of the 15,000 skeletal elements found in the burial crypts of the Byzantine monastery of St. Stephenís in Jerusalem represent sub-adults (Sheridan 1999).  Who were these children and why were they buried within a monastic compound?  Although much appears in the literature of the time about St. Stephen's, no mention is made of the presence of children.Ý
     The current study examined five dental morphological traits of the deciduous and permanent teeth of these individuals.  Frequencies of non-metric characters were compared to those found for the adult dentition to determine possible genetic relationships.  The permanent dentitions were scored using the Arizona State University Dental Anthropology System (ASU DAS).  Plaques created by K. Hanihara and A. A. Dalhberg, along with the ASU DAS, were used for the deciduous remains.  A total of 104 teeth were identified in the subadult collection and over 200 teeth were used from the adult collection.  Chi-square comparisons were insignificant for within group tests of the sub-adults.  The tests were also insignificant between the deciduous teeth and the adult permanent teeth, except for cusp 7 (p<0.05).  However, this may be due to differing trait development and expression, or a variation in scoring methods. 
     The virtual lack of significant difference provides us with no evidence to suggest that the adults and juveniles were from two distinct biological groups.  When combined with demographic and disease patterns for the community, a circumstantial case can be made for the theory that these children were from the surrounding community, buried near the bones of venerated individuals.		 .
Caroline Tse [University of Chicago] & EA Quinn [Emory University]
ABSTRACT --  This research sought to obtain data and estimations of growth and development for the St. Stephens subadults using comparative growth data.  The objective was to identify trends in the growth patterns, identify growth abnormalities, and give a macro-level view of growth trends for the subadult assemblage.   .
Jennifer Hochman [Lycoming College] & Christy Cox [Lethbridge University]
ABSTRACT -- Over a period of several years, 15,000 skeletal remains were exhumed from St. Stephenís Monastery in Jerusalem.  An initial inspection of the bones revealed a startling fact: over 1/3 of the skeletal population consisted solely of juvenile remains.  Preliminary research into surrounding monasteries revealed little testimony of children living in monastic communities during the Byzantine Period. 
 
The purpose of this paper is to determine the ages of the children based on methods such as dental eruption patterns, epiphyseal fusions and diaphyseal lengths of the long bones.  Several methods will be employed to compare and contrast the data received based on different aging techniques and between different bones. 		 .
Mike Korvink [University of North Carolina-Charolette] & Lindsay Smith [University of Notre Dame]
ABSTRACT -- St. Stephenís monastery outside of the gate to Damascus in Jerusalem has provided a wealth of bones for study.  Mixed among the monk bones found at the site were also 5,000 sub-adult bones, representing a minimum of 58 children.  The focus of this study is to attempt to determine the sex of these children using both the mandible and ilium.  The mandible was analyzed for the protrusion of the mental eminence, mandibular body shape, and the presence or absence of gonial flaring.  The ilia were analyzed for the elevation of the auricular surface, the curvature of the iliac crest, the iliac breadth, and the ratio of the greater sciatic notch.  With this data, the researchers were able to conclude that there were both male and female children present within this ossuary collection.
     From this point the data was put in a historical context by comparing the biological results to archaeological and textual material; thus the bio-cultural model was applied.  The presence of females in the collection offers no new theories as to why the sub-adults were present, but simply gives more or less agreement to past suggestions.  In this study we conclude that the most plausible possibility is that St. Stephenís had an orphanage.  This is reinforced by textual sources such as Basilís ìLong Rules,î as well as archaeological evidence of infanticide and a down-turning economy, that suggests an increase in unwanted children. 		 .
Field School HOME  l  2002 Summer NSF  l Byzantine St. Stephen's HOME  l  Sheridan HOME