"Piecing Together Past Stories ": Commingled Human Remains From the Cemetery of the Third Order of Our Lady of Carmo (Porto, Portugal)

This research explores secondary depositions (SD) identified and excavated during the archaeological intervention (2022-2024) at the cemetery of the Hospital of the Third Order or Our Lady of Carmo (CARMO) – Porto (Portugal). The cemetery operated between 1801 and 1869, a historical period marked by the Napoleonic wars in Europe, the Siege of Porto during the Civil Revolution and cholera pan/epidemics. The term SD is used loosely here to identify disarticulated and/or re-organised clusters of human remains resulting from post-depositional disturbances, intentional or not, after the primary burial of the body. This preliminary study categorised SD into different typologies based on their position, spatial and stratigraphic distribution, and bone element representation. Drawings, photographs, orthophotography, and on-site recording were used to build the profile of the depositions. To date, 140 SD clusters were identified, amongst which distinct types can be distinguished based on variations in the following features: minimum number of individuals (MNI), bones present, organisation of bone elements, presence/absence of burial container such as coffins, and spatial relation of SD to other architectural and burial features. The MNI per SD ranged from 1 to 250 and the total number of individuals recovered from SD is approximately 800. Some clusters show a distinct composition of bone elements present, for example being composed entirely of long bones and skulls. In terms of variation in spatial organisation SD were found both within and beyond the boundaries of the main cemetery. The stratigraphic data suggested that some SDs were produced after the cemetery's abandonment, and others occurred as part of the management of the burial space; all indicate distinct events and show the informative potential of SD in accessing historical events and cultural practices of past populations. This poster was presented at The 30th EAA Annual Meeting, Rome, Italy (28-31 August 2024).