The results of the study of anthropological material from the excavation of Bogoroditsko-Alekseevky friary of Tomsk (end of XVIII and XIX centuries)

This paper analyzes the new anthropological materials from the emergency excavations in Bogoroditsk-Alexis friary. The bone materials (skull and postcranial skeleton) are a unique historical source for the reconstruction of life of the population of Siberian cities in XVII-XIX centuries, which is relevant to such scientific trend as urban archeology. Comprehensive study of anthropological materials according to different systems of indications provides information on the demography, social status, anthropological composition, paleopathological characteristics, health status, lifestyle, nutrition, economic activity of first townsfolk. The first experience of the anthropological study of the Tomsk population based on the Orthodox cemetery data was the paper of S.M. Chugunov who analyzed the data by means of the craniometric technique. The accumulated data on the close to the present population one require special methods of studying involving assistance of medical faculties' staff. The remains of those buried in the above mentioned cemetery (BAM-2012) were the object of the study. There were carried out the sex-age identifications of the 60 individuals, including 37 men, 22 women and one child. Most bones are adequately preserved and presented as relatively complete skeletons. After the osteoscopic analysis the skulls and post-cranial skeletons with most marked pathological indications (30 male and 13 female) were selected. The report is devoted to the analysis of the pathological changes fixed on the osteologic material. The degen-erative-dystrophic diseases of a spine and joints, trauma and post-traumatic changes and abnormalities were identified. These lesions show frequent microtraumas, sometimes acute spinal injuries from heavy physical exertion, random injuries, falling from a horse, a brawl (costal and tubular bones fractures), and daily monotonous exercise stress on certain parts of a musculoskeletal system. The latter fact provides information about a person's career (a carpenter, loader, and rider). Such information together with the epidemiological situation in Tomsk at the end of XVIII and XIX century allows reconstructing of historical moments in Tomsk life.

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