Bioarchaeological Investigations of Community and Identity at the Avondale Burial Place (McArthur Cemetery), Bibb County, Georgia

Author

Emily Vanderpool, Georgia State UniversityFollow

Date of Award

Fall 12-9-2011

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Anthropology

First Advisor

Bethany Turner

Second Advisor

Frank Williams

Third Advisor

Jeffrey Glover

Abstract

This study conducts a multi-isotopic bioarchaeological analysis of the Avondale Burial Place (McArthur Cemetery), a recently discovered Emancipation-era African American cemetery near Macon, GA. Stable isotopic analyses were performed on available dental remains in order to reconstruct the diet and demography of the individuals buried at McArthur Cemetery. Specifically, δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C were characterized in tooth enamel and examined in tandem with collaborative osteological and mortuary analyses to reconstruct early-life diet and residential origin. The results suggest that members of the Avondale community buried in McArthur did not experience significant mobility, but rather resided in the area for most of their lives. Overall, these results greatly contribute to the genealogical research of McArthur Cemetery’s descendants as well as the fragmented history of the South by exploring whether the individuals in this community took part in the Great Migration following the Civil War.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.57709/2374164

Recommended Citation

Vanderpool, Emily, "Bioarchaeological Investigations of Community and Identity at the Avondale Burial Place (McArthur Cemetery), Bibb County, Georgia." Thesis, Georgia State University, 2011.
doi: https://doi.org/10.57709/2374164