The Winthir-Collection: An anthropological and historical pilot study

• Applicants: Dr. Michaela Harbeck; Dr. Bernd Trautmann
• Subject Area: Prehistory and World Archaeology ; Modern and Contemporary History
• Term: from 2019 to 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 426344714

Human skeletal reference collections are absolutely vital to the development and refinement of anthropological methods used in the examination of skeletal remains originating from archaeological contexts. Such collections consist of skeletons for which various biological data pertaining to each individual, such as age-at-death, stature, sex, health status, and cause of death are already known through written records. Although great advancements in biomolecular research have been made in recent years, gathering fundamental biological data to an individual through standard osteological examination remains irreplaceable and is an essential prerequisite upon which other studies rely. Numerous prerequisites must be fulfilled before a skeletal collection qualifies as reference material. Presently, Central Europe does not have a skeletal reference collection and in Germany no suitable series exists, until now. The problematic lack of a reference collection for Central Europe can now be alleviated with a study of the skeletal remains from Winthir Cemetery in Neuhausen, Germany (today a district of Munich). The collection is comprised of 230 excellently preserved human skeletons from persons buried around 1900 AD. Archival records contain a wealth of information pertaining to each person: age-at-death, sex, profession, cause of death, number of children, family status etc. For the first time, this combination of data offers a unique and up to now undocumented reservoir of information. One decisive aim of this project is the establishment of the Winthir- Collection as an anthropological reference series. Furthermore, we want to exemplify the suitability and potential of the series for anthropological research as well as a historical source. For this purpose, studies are planned dealing with methods for the sexual determination of subadult individuals and the verification of activity related changes on bones (entheseal changes). Further examinations consider the question of detectability of socioeconomic status and related living conditions on skeletal remains and the linkage to historical sources on an individual level. On that account, we aim a close collaboration with historical sciences to aspire a holistic integration of anthropologic and historic data for the Winthir-collection.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigator: Privatdozent Dr. Christof Paulus