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The Social Bioarchaeology Of Childhood As Applied To The Analysis Of An Excavated Mid- To Late-Nineteenth-Century Mennonite Cemetery, Berne, Indiana, Jennifer L. Hildebrand

Anthropology Department: Theses

This thesis provides a social-bioarchaeological analysis of the Old Mennonite Cemetery (1852-1896) in Berne, Indiana, with emphasis on treatment of child burials as a reflection of Mennonite identity and beliefs. Social bioarchaeology combines the methods of both social archaeology and bioarchaeology. When applied to the study of children in a mortuary context, social bioarchaeology allows determination of cultural age categories and a fuller understanding of childhood. In this study, various forms of historical documentation were utilized to provide a social context for analysis of the cemetery. These materials revealed a collective religious identity based on practices pertaining to children, most …