Interpersonal Violence and Fracture Patterns in 18Th- and 19Th-Century London
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Interpersonal violence and fracture patterns in 18th- and 19th-century London Sarah Lockyer A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of Bournemouth University for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2013 Bournemouth University Copyright Statement This copy of the thesis has been supplied on condition that anyone who consults it is understood to recognise that its copyright rests with its author and due acknowledgement must always be made of the use of any material contained in, or derived from, this thesis. 2 Abstract Sarah Lockyer Interpersonal violence and fracture patterns in 18th- and 19th-century London Violent behaviour can be seen all over the world and across time; it is also intrinsically linked to culture. As such, the analysis of skeletal material presents excellent physical evidence of violent occurrences within communities. The current thesis looks to understand the possible presence of fracture patterns and interpersonal violence in London during the 18th and 19th centuries by analysing the fracture patterns observed on six skeletal collections from the geographical area and characterised by various social and economic contexts. The contextualisation of each burial ground proved to be imperative to the research. The statistical results revealed that grouping collections together based on their socioeconomic status does not describe nor explain the fracture patterns seen in the collections considering that some did not emulate the characterisation implemented upon them by the media or City officials at the time. It also was found that the patrilineal society and the subsequent sexual division of labour had a profound effect on the results especially when comparing the prevalence of fractures between men and women. Therefore, this thesis provides a comprehensive overview of fracture patterns and the presence of interpersonal violence in regards to the different lifestyles and socioeconomic contexts found in London during the 18th and 19th centuries and how such behaviour affected the individuals’ daily lives. 3 Table of Contents COPYRIGHT STATEMENT ................................................................................... 2 ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................ 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................... 4 LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................. 13 LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................... 22 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..................................................................................... 29 CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION ......................................................................... 30 1.1 CULTURE, SOCIETY AND VIOLENCE 31 1.1.1 The concept of culture ............................................................................. 31 1.1.1.1 Culture determines behaviour ............................................................ 32 1.1.2 The concept of society ............................................................................. 33 1.1.3 Understanding violent behaviour ............................................................. 33 1.1.3.1 The violence triangle and its participants .......................................... 35 1.1.3.2 The incentives for violence ................................................................. 36 1.1.3.3 The narrative of violence .................................................................... 37 1.1.3.4 Violence’s chronological and geographical evolution ...................... 37 1.2 INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE AS OPPOSED TO WARFARE 39 1.2.1 Limiting acts of interpersonal violence ................................................... 41 1.3 THESIS ORGANIZATION 42 1.3.1 Background information .......................................................................... 42 1.3.1.1 Bioarchaeology .................................................................................. 43 1.3.1.2 Fractures ............................................................................................ 43 1.3.1.3 Historical sources .............................................................................. 43 1.3.2 Research aims, materials and methods .................................................... 44 1.3.2.1 Aims, objectives and hypotheses ........................................................ 44 1.3.2.2 Materials ............................................................................................ 44 1.3.2.3 Methods .............................................................................................. 44 1.3.2.4 Statistical analysis .............................................................................. 45 1.3.3 Results ...................................................................................................... 45 1.3.3.1 Three Results chapters ....................................................................... 45 1.3.3.2 Results chapters sub-divisions ........................................................... 46 1.3.4 Discussion ................................................................................................ 46 Summary ........................................................................................................... 47 CHAPTER 2 – BACKGROUND INFORMATION ............................................. 49 2.1 BIOARCHAEOLOGY 50 2.1.1 Foundation ............................................................................................... 50 2.1.2 Goals ........................................................................................................ 51 2.1.3 Limitations ............................................................................................... 51 2.1.3.1 Sample representation ........................................................................ 52 2.1.3.2 Preservation ....................................................................................... 52 4 2.1.3.3 Soft-tissue injuries .............................................................................. 53 2.1.3 Bioarchaeology methods ......................................................................... 54 2.1.3.1 The progression from case studies to population studies .................. 54 2.1.3.2 The use of clinical studies in bioarchaeology .................................... 55 2.2 FRACTURES 57 2.2.1 The biomechanics of fractures ................................................................. 57 2.2.1.1 Types of forces that can act on bone .................................................. 57 2.2.1.2 Stages of deformation ......................................................................... 59 2.2.2 Types of fractures .................................................................................... 60 2.2.2.1 Classification of fractures .................................................................. 60 2.2.3 Fracture healing process .......................................................................... 63 2.2.3.1 Healing phases ................................................................................... 63 2.2.3.2 Factors affecting the healing process ................................................ 64 2.2.4 Identifying fractures on human remains .................................................. 65 2.2.4.1 Ante-mortem fractures ....................................................................... 65 2.2.4.2 Peri-mortem fractures ........................................................................ 65 2.2.4.3 Post-mortem fractures ........................................................................ 66 2.2.5 Fracture mechanisms ............................................................................... 66 2.2.5.1 Fractures possibly caused by interpersonal violence ........................ 67 2.2.5.2 Accidental fractures ........................................................................... 67 2.2.6 Possible markers of interpersonal violence ............................................. 68 2.2.6.1 Depressed cranial fractures ............................................................... 69 2.2.6.2 Nasal fractures ................................................................................... 70 2.2.6.3 Ulnar or ‘parry’ fractures .................................................................. 73 2.2.6.4 Rib fractures ....................................................................................... 74 2.2.6.5 Metacarpal fractures .......................................................................... 76 2.3 LIFE DURING POST-MEDIEVAL LONDON 78 2.3.1 London Life ............................................................................................. 79 2.3.1.1 Population growth .............................................................................. 80 2.3.1.2 Sanitation ........................................................................................... 81 2.3.1.3 Condition of cemeteries ..................................................................... 82 2.3.2 The London poor ..................................................................................... 83 2.3.2.1 The slums ............................................................................................ 83 2.3.2.2 The bane of the population ................................................................. 84 2.3.3 The London rich .....................................................................................