Archaeology and Bioarchaeology of Anatomical Dissection at a Nineteenth-Century Army Hospital in San Francisco

The discovery of a pit containing 4,000 human skeletal elements at the site of the former Army hospital at Point San Jose in San Francisco in 2010 revealed that they were remains from anatomical dissections conducted in the 1870s. This volume uses historical, archaeological, and bioarchaeological analysis to understand the function of the pit and the identities of the people represented in it, showing how the remains are postmortem manifestations of social inequality and evidence of structural violence against marginalized individuals.

Format: Hardback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 30 January 2023
Publisher: University Press of Florida

In 2010, a remarkable discovery was made at the site of the former Army hospital at Point San Jose in San Francisco. Local archaeologists unearthed a pit containing over 4,000 human skeletal elements, alongside medical waste artifacts from the hospital. Upon further examination, they determined that these bones, dating back to the 1870s, were remnants of anatomical dissections conducted at the hospital. Unfortunately, no records of these dissections exist, leading this volume to explore historical, archaeological, and bioarchaeological analysis to unravel the purpose of the pit and the identities of the individuals represented therein.

In these insightful essays, contributors shed light on how the remains discovered are postmortem manifestations of social inequality. They demonstrate how nineteenth-century surgical and anatomical research not only benefited from but also perpetuated structural violence against marginalized individuals. This volume, part of the series Bioarchaeological Interpretations of the Human Past: Local, Regional, and Global Perspectives, edited by Clark Spencer Larsen, offers a profound exploration into the complex history of medical research and its impact on society.

Weight: 363g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781683402664