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The Mexican War Cemetery on Greenwood Island (22JA516), Jackson Co, Mississippi Lynn Funkhouser, Marie Danforth, Terri Ilgen, David Martin, Danielle Cook, and Harold Webster University of Southern Mississippi
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The Mexican War Cemetery on Greenwood Island (22JA516),Jackson Co, Mississippi Lynn Funkhouser, Marie Danforth, Terri Ilgen, David Martin, Danielle Cook, and Harold Webster University of Southern Mississippi with contributions by Alton K Fisher (1905-1991) University of Iowa Paper presented at 2008 meetings, Southeastern Archaeological Conference, Charlotte
Greenwood Island (22JA516) Mobile New Orleans
The Mexican War 1846 - 1848
1864 Map of Camp Jefferson Davis (von Nerta 1895) 100 graves 80 graves 7 graves
Report of 1979 Findings Mississippi Archaeology (1979) 14(2):5-6, 11-12 (Picture of Mississippi Archaeology article) Dr Alton K Fisher (1905 – 1991)
Isolated Human Remains Recovered on Greenwood Island Beach
permanent shoreline Burial Locations
Artifacts Recovered in Coffins 1979 Burials 2008 Burials 2008 Burials
Mean Stature ComparisonsAmong Contemporary Samples N = 11 N = 25 N = 5 N = 17 (1778) (1812-1814) (1848) (1861 - ?)
Mean Caries Frequency Comparison with Contemporary Samples (taken from Sledzik and Moore-Jansen 1991:222)
LEH Burial 4, Maxilla (hypoplasias) LEH Burial 5, Maxilla
Burial 5, Left humerus Extention of the medial epicondyle Burial 3, Left femoral head Articular Extension
Burial 5, Lower thoracic vertebrae Schmorl’s Nodes
Burial 4, Right Humerus
Burial 5, Sacral spina bifida occulta
Burial 5, Right clavicle
Comparison of Graves 1979 Clear water Remains visible 2008 Dark water (black silt) Remains not visible
Future Work • Develop a method for the preservation of bone retrieved from saltwater: • Possible methods to investigate: • Cascading water • Alcohol / acetone bath • Freeze drying
Future Work • Determine if the saltwater or chemicals from industry caused the flaking of these remains. • Attempt to locate any other individuals that may be on the Greenwood Island site. • Rebury these three soldiers and any others found in a place of honor.
References Sledzik, PS and Moore-Jansen, PH (1991) Dental disease in nineteenth century military skeletal samples. In Advances in Dental Anthropology, ed by M Kelley and CS Larsen, pp 215-224. Wiley-Liss, New York.
Acknowledgments • Carey Geiger and Bonnie Gums, University of South Alabama • Jayur Mehta and David Abbott, Mississippi Department of Archives and History • Mike Smith, Port of Pascagoula Authority • Shirley Schermer, Iowa State Archaeology Office • Signal International, Pascagoula • Diana Flosenzier and Patricia Biesiot, University of Southern Mississippi • Student volunteer excavators