Detection and characterisation of Black Death burials by multi-proxy geophysical methods

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Detection and characterisation of Black Death burials by multi-proxy geophysical methods. / Dick, Henry C.; Pringle, Jamie K.; Sloane, Barney; Carver, Jay; Wisniewski, Kristopher D.; Haffenden, Austin; Porter, Stephen; Roberts, Daniel; Cassidy, Nigel.

In: Journal of Archaeological Science, Vol. 59, 01.07.2015, p. 132-141.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Harvard

Dick, HC, Pringle, JK, Sloane, B, Carver, J, Wisniewski, KD, Haffenden, A, Porter, S, Roberts, D & Cassidy, N 2015, 'Detection and characterisation of Black Death burials by multi-proxy geophysical methods', Journal of Archaeological Science, vol. 59, pp. 132-141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2015.04.010

APA

Dick, H. C., Pringle, J. K., Sloane, B., Carver, J., Wisniewski, K. D., Haffenden, A., Porter, S., Roberts, D., & Cassidy, N. (2015). Detection and characterisation of Black Death burials by multi-proxy geophysical methods. Journal of Archaeological Science, 59, 132-141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2015.04.010

Vancouver

Dick HC, Pringle JK, Sloane B, Carver J, Wisniewski KD, Haffenden A et al. Detection and characterisation of Black Death burials by multi-proxy geophysical methods. Journal of Archaeological Science. 2015 Jul 1;59:132-141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2015.04.010

Author

Dick, Henry C. ; Pringle, Jamie K. ; Sloane, Barney ; Carver, Jay ; Wisniewski, Kristopher D. ; Haffenden, Austin ; Porter, Stephen ; Roberts, Daniel ; Cassidy, Nigel. / Detection and characterisation of Black Death burials by multi-proxy geophysical methods. In: Journal of Archaeological Science. 2015 ; Vol. 59. pp. 132-141.

Bibtex

@article{6fc795f5f4124ae282c79380432d2e2d,
title = "Detection and characterisation of Black Death burials by multi-proxy geophysical methods",
abstract = "The construction of the new Crossrail railway discovered 25 well preserved skeletons shallowly buried in Central London in 2013. Subsequent carbon dating and aDNA analysis confirmed the archaeological age and presence of the Yersinia pestis {"}Black Death{"} plague epidemic strain. Here we present the non-invasive multi-proxy geophysical survey of the adjacent Charterhouse Square, rapidly undertaken to detect any further burials and characterise the site. Historical records suggested the area was a burial ground for Black Death plague victims, before subsequent cemetery and urban land use. Following initial trial surveys, surveys imaged ~200 isolated and similar-sized burials in the south-west of the site. There were also two contrasting burial orientations present at various depths which suggested a series of controlled phased burials. A well-defined eastern burial boundary, taking the form of a ditch and bank, was also discovered. Geophysical surveys also identified a subsequent complex site history with multiple-aged features. This study revises knowledge of Black Death aged-burials and provides important implications for successful geophysical burial detection with significant time- and space-limited site constraints.",
keywords = "Black Death, Burials, Geophysics, London, Plague",
author = "Dick, {Henry C.} and Pringle, {Jamie K.} and Barney Sloane and Jay Carver and Wisniewski, {Kristopher D.} and Austin Haffenden and Stephen Porter and Daniel Roberts and Nigel Cassidy",
year = "2015",
month = jul,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1016/j.jas.2015.04.010",
language = "English",
volume = "59",
pages = "132--141",
journal = "Journal of Archaeological Science",
issn = "0305-4403",
publisher = "Elsevier",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Detection and characterisation of Black Death burials by multi-proxy geophysical methods

AU - Dick, Henry C.

AU - Pringle, Jamie K.

AU - Sloane, Barney

AU - Carver, Jay

AU - Wisniewski, Kristopher D.

AU - Haffenden, Austin

AU - Porter, Stephen

AU - Roberts, Daniel

AU - Cassidy, Nigel

PY - 2015/7/1

Y1 - 2015/7/1

N2 - The construction of the new Crossrail railway discovered 25 well preserved skeletons shallowly buried in Central London in 2013. Subsequent carbon dating and aDNA analysis confirmed the archaeological age and presence of the Yersinia pestis "Black Death" plague epidemic strain. Here we present the non-invasive multi-proxy geophysical survey of the adjacent Charterhouse Square, rapidly undertaken to detect any further burials and characterise the site. Historical records suggested the area was a burial ground for Black Death plague victims, before subsequent cemetery and urban land use. Following initial trial surveys, surveys imaged ~200 isolated and similar-sized burials in the south-west of the site. There were also two contrasting burial orientations present at various depths which suggested a series of controlled phased burials. A well-defined eastern burial boundary, taking the form of a ditch and bank, was also discovered. Geophysical surveys also identified a subsequent complex site history with multiple-aged features. This study revises knowledge of Black Death aged-burials and provides important implications for successful geophysical burial detection with significant time- and space-limited site constraints.

AB - The construction of the new Crossrail railway discovered 25 well preserved skeletons shallowly buried in Central London in 2013. Subsequent carbon dating and aDNA analysis confirmed the archaeological age and presence of the Yersinia pestis "Black Death" plague epidemic strain. Here we present the non-invasive multi-proxy geophysical survey of the adjacent Charterhouse Square, rapidly undertaken to detect any further burials and characterise the site. Historical records suggested the area was a burial ground for Black Death plague victims, before subsequent cemetery and urban land use. Following initial trial surveys, surveys imaged ~200 isolated and similar-sized burials in the south-west of the site. There were also two contrasting burial orientations present at various depths which suggested a series of controlled phased burials. A well-defined eastern burial boundary, taking the form of a ditch and bank, was also discovered. Geophysical surveys also identified a subsequent complex site history with multiple-aged features. This study revises knowledge of Black Death aged-burials and provides important implications for successful geophysical burial detection with significant time- and space-limited site constraints.

KW - Black Death

KW - Burials

KW - Geophysics

KW - London

KW - Plague

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84929312721&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.jas.2015.04.010

DO - 10.1016/j.jas.2015.04.010

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84929312721

VL - 59

SP - 132

EP - 141

JO - Journal of Archaeological Science

JF - Journal of Archaeological Science

SN - 0305-4403

ER -