The bioarchaeology of children's health in antebellum Kentucky : the Old Frankfort Cemetery

The Old Frankfort Cemetery (15Frl54) is located in downtown Frankfort, Kentucky, at the foot of Fort Hill. Records indicate this cemetery may have been the first in use in Frankfort. It was initially used as a general burial ground for the city in the early 1800s; however, it appears that the cemetery quickly became dilapidated and was primarily used for the poor of the city. Subsequent development of the site through out the 19th and 20`" centuries effectively removed the cemetery from the landscape and public memory. This amnesia was compounded by the social status of those interred at the Old Frankfort Cemetery.The specific aim of this study is to better understand children's health in the Antebellum South. Through a case study of Frankfort, Kentucky, political and economic conditions during the 19th century that affected health conditions will be examined. Documentation of immature skeletal remains from this unknown population will provide insight as to delays in both bone and dental growth and maturity, and epiphyseal closure. It will also provide information on the health of the overall population. Results of this study will not only enhance the social, economic and political intra-relationships between the population of the cemetery, but also the surrounding urban area of Frankfort, KY, during the early 19'h century and Antebellum America.Department of AnthropologyThesis (M.A.