Forensics Journal - Stevenson University 2011 | Page 40

STEVENSON UNIVERSITY

the function, integrity and morphology of the missing tooth structure
is visibly apparent in the individuals from the Richards’ family vault.
Four of the family members received significant dental work – the
need for which may have been driven by consumption of items reflective of the family’s wealth (e.g., sugar).

Larsen, C. S. (1997). Bioarchaeology: Interpreting behavior from the
human skeleton. Cambridge University Press.
Little, B. J., Lanphear, K. M., & Owsley, D. W. (1992). Mortuary
Display and Status in a Nineteenth-Century Anglo-American Cemetery in Manassas, Virginia. American Antiquity, 57(3), 397-418.

The dietary habits reconstruction of individuals from the Richards
family vault holds considerable potential in revealing a typical dietary
pattern of wealthy individuals at the turn of the century in the midAtlantic region. A decrease in δ13C‰ and δ15N‰ values towards
the end of the 19th century shows a transition from a more cornbased diet to one more reliant on wheat products – which itself is
reflective of the evolution of food processing technology. The decrease
in δ15N‰ around the same time period points to either a prevalence
towards a more marine-based diet or a decline in the consumption of
protein from meat.

Mays, S. (1998). The Archaeology of Human Bones. Routledge, London.
Meier-Augenstein, W., & Fraser, I. (2008). Forensic isotope analysis
leads to identification of a mutilated murder victim. Science and
Justice, 48, 153-159