The archaeology of Danish healthcare legislation and local healing practices, 1803-1848, St. Croix, US Virgin Islands
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- This archaeological research project examines the practical negotiations between colonial healthcare policy and local healthcare practices during the 19th century in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. In order to understand how enslaved individuals approached issues of health and well-being within the context of institutionalized medicine, archaeological excavations were conducted at a former plantation hospital at Estate Cane Garden. Targeted analyses of ceramics, faunal remains, and macrobotanical remains from the hospital indicate that enslaved caregivers and patients utilized a wide range of plant and animal resources and that foodways served as important conduits of healing. While Danish physician reports and Board of Health documents indicate a deep investment in maintaining the health of enslaved people by creating a comprehensive healthcare network, archaeological excavations highlight a lack of material objects commonly associated with medical practice. Archaeological research suggests that: 1) the centrally administered healthcare system envisioned by the colonial government was not implemented at the local level, and 2) everyday care at the hospital may have encompassed broader interpretations of healthcare and wellness than those mentioned in the medical documents. This research emphasizes the historical rootedness of "health" and argues that "health" is a simultaneously institutionalized and highly individual/subjective state of being.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Form | electronic; electronic resource; remote |
| Extent | 1 online resource. |
| Publication date | 2017 |
| Issuance | monographic |
| Language | English |
Creators/Contributors
| Associated with | Reifschneider, Meredith |
|---|---|
| Associated with | Stanford University, Department of Anthropology. |
| Primary advisor | Voss, Barbara L, 1967- |
| Thesis advisor | Voss, Barbara L, 1967- |
| Thesis advisor | Ebron, Paulla A, 1953- |
| Thesis advisor | Hauser, Mark W |
| Thesis advisor | Seetah, Krish |
| Advisor | Ebron, Paulla A, 1953- |
| Advisor | Hauser, Mark W |
| Advisor | Seetah, Krish |
Subjects
| Genre | Theses |
|---|
Bibliographic information
| Statement of responsibility | Meredith Reifschneider. |
|---|---|
| Note | Submitted to the Department of Anthropology. |
| Thesis | Thesis (Ph.D.)--Stanford University, 2017. |
| Location | electronic resource |
Access conditions
- Copyright
- © 2017 by Meredith Reifschneider
- License
- This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 3.0 Unported license (CC BY-NC).
Also listed in
Loading usage metrics...