Human remains from Voegtly Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Abstract

In 1987, stimulated by planned highway construction, an archeological survey located the cemetery associated with Voegtly Church and Parsonage, which was dated to between 1833 and 1861. An intensive excavation in 1987 located 724 features thought to represent human burials and recovered the remains and associated artifacts. Analysis of the human remains revealed highly variable preservation with extensive weathering, especially among subadults. Cultural alterations on the teeth include evidence for pipe smoking. Living stature averaged about 160 cm (5 ft 3 in) for females and 170 cm (5 ft 7 in) for males. Pathological conditions included trauma, infection, extreme arthritis, and tuberculosis. Dental health was generally poor, with high frequencies of dental caries, alveolar abscessing, antemortem tooth loss, and dental hypoplasia. Mortality rates were high and life expectancy was generally low, especially among infants and children.