Nutrition et état de santé : études paléochimique et paléopathologique de la population exhumée du cimetière protestant Saint-Matthew, ville de Québec, Canada (1771-1860)

Type of resource
Author/collaborator
Title
Nutrition et état de santé : études paléochimique et paléopathologique de la population exhumée du cimetière protestant Saint-Matthew, ville de Québec, Canada (1771-1860)
Abstract
Ninety-five human skeletons buried between 1771 and 1860 from archaeological excavations at the Protestant Saint-Matthew burial ground in Quebec City were studied by the author with respect to two major aspects of palaeonutrition: palaeochemistry and palaeopathology. The aim of her study was to explore the relationship between nutrition and health in this preindustrial population. Direct information on the types of food consumed was obtained from stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses of bone collagen, and indirect information was acquired by quantifying health status. Palaeopathological methods used are the “health index” method (Steckel et al.,2002) for interpopulational comparison, and then quantifications using more precise severity degrees for assessing intrapopulational variation. The author's data analysis revealed a relatively bad health status compared to other contemporary North-American groups despite a relatively similar nutrition. Food differences in relation to palaeodemographical data (age, sex) were noted, in particular about the variability of weaning process achievement. Furthermore, a diet depleted in C4 (corn, sugarcane) and in animal resources (meat, fish, dairy products) was noted for children between two and seven years old in comparison to older individuals. Finally, a possible relationship between pathologies severity (cribra orbitalia, periostitis) and the consumption of C4 and/or marine resources and animal products rich in protein was highlighted when comparing all the data.
Type
Master's Thesis
University
Université de Montréal
Place
Montréal
Date
2009
# of Pages
xiv-210-xxiii p.
Language
fr
URL
Citation
Morland, Fanny. “Nutrition et état de santé : études paléochimique et paléopathologique de la population exhumée du cimetière protestant Saint-Matthew, ville de Québec, Canada (1771-1860).” Master’s Thesis, Université de Montréal, 2009. https://papyrus.bib.umontreal.ca/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1866/4121/Morland_Fanny_2010_memoire.pdf?sequence=4&isAllowed=y.
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