Paleopathology and Nonspecific Stress Indicators at Point San Jose

This chapter presents the results of the paleopathology analysis of the Point San Jose medical waste deposit. Both bone and dental pathologies were examined, including infectious, metabolic, trauma, and degenerative pathologies. The results are compared with deposits representing similar contexts and time periods, namely the Holden Chapel and Medical College of Georgia sample. Overall, the Point San Jose results indicate that approximately 20 percent of the skeletal elements showed pathological changes with joint disease being the most prevalent change observed. The level of observed pathologies suggests that the deposit is similar to other nineteenth-century samples and is not indicative of a sample assembled because it’s pathological significance.