Bioarchaeological analysis of a Hungarian agricultural population
from the 16th-17th century
Abstract
Excavations carried out in 2001 and 2002 in the cemetery of the late
medieval village of Bobald in northwest Romania recovered the remains of
approximately 162 individuals. These remains are currently housed at the Satu
Mare County Museum. Analysis of the burial artifacts dates these burials to
approximately 1550 to 1700, a time of political instability and warfare in the
region. Records indicate that the majority of the villagers at Bobald were
peasants, subject to the Hungarian landlord at the nearby town of Károly (the
modern Romanian town of Carei). Given the historical and economic context in
which these people lived, it is expected that they experienced stress that may
account for their abandonment of the village. This stress, whether from economic
hardship or continual conflict, may be reflected in their skeletal remains.
Osteological analysis of the skeletal and dental material was performed to
obtain data on health status, including determination of minimum number of
individuals, sex, age at death, and evidence of pathological conditions. These data
were used to construct a demographic profile of the village as well as a health
profile. Analysis of the osteological, historical, and archaeological material give
insight to questions regarding the health conditions, diet, and quality of life in
this 16th-17th century sample. These data were compared with other medieval
European samples. Results indicate that while this peasant population did not
suffer significantly more stress than other European populations, individuals
were particularly stressed during childhood, but were relatively healthy if they
survived to adulthood. There was no indication of interpersonal violence, but the
constant threat of it may have factored into gradual abandonment of the village.