Forensics Journal - Stevenson University 2011 | Page 35

FORENSICS JOURNAL

Osteological Analysis of Remains from the
Richards’ Family Vault
Congressional Cemetery, Washington, D.C.
Erin N. Cullen
Dr. Douglas W. Owsley, Mentor
The purpose of this research is to understand the health and dietary
patterns of wealthy individuals in the Washington, D.C. area from
the mid-19th to the early 20th century. The skeletal identification and
analysis of mid-late 19th century burials has been studied for many
individuals of lower or middle status, throughout the Mid-Atlantic
region. The analysis of high status individuals is not as common, in
part, because many of these individuals are interred in more elaborate,
generally inaccessible, and identifiable resting places (e.g., vaults), not
in open fields which are “hot spots” for archaeological excavations.

INTRODUCTION
Analyses conducted in the field of Physical Anthropology combined
with historical research provide a more holistic approach to the
interpretation of archaeological or burial excavations. Osteological
research, in particular, adds a critical dimension to the understanding
of the past, which the material culture alone cannot usually provide—
namely the health and physique of a population. Osteological analyses also aid in identification by assessing demographic information,
including age, sex, ancestry, and pathological conditions of an individua