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A Fisk patent metallic burial case from Western Missouri: an interdisciplinary and comprehensive effort to reconstruct the history of an early settler of Lexington, Missouri

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Abstract

In 2006 a cast-iron coffin was discovered in an unmarked burial plot in Lexington, Missouri. A multifaceted investigation was conducted to provide historical documentation and possible identification of the individual. The coffin is an early Fisk Patent Metallic Burial Case. Osteological analyses indicate that the skeletal remains belong to a 20 to 30 year old white female who consistently ate an omnivorous diet with significant amounts of C4 plants or seafood. Rib morphology and her burial garments suggest she frequently wore restrictive clothing. No gross skeletal pathological lesions or trauma were observed except for a patch of reactive bone and an atypical pattern of bone remodeling on the visceral surface of the sixth rib. Subsequent bacterial DNA analysis of the ribs and sternum indicate the presence of tuberculosis infection. Although not conclusive, multiple lines of evidence are consistent with the skeletal remains representing Elizabeth (Triplett) Stewart who died in 1854 of pulmonary tuberculosis. This multidisciplinary research significantly contributes to the local history of Lexington, Missouri and provides a likely identification of the deceased individual for the Stewart Family.

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Acknowledgments

We express appreciation and thanks to a number of people that contributed to this research. The Stewart family and Steve Oliaro, president of the Machpelah Cemetery Board, initiated the research and provided valuable information throughout the investigation. Marc Oliver provided excellent illustrations of the coffin and hardware. Stephanie Child, Sharon Delgaudio, and Serena French helped clean and prepare the coffin and skeletal remains. Randall Scott, Douglas Owsley and David Hunt provided valuable information regarding Fisk coffins and methods for data recovery. Deborah Cunningham provided valuable comments on drafts of the paper. We also express appreciation to the State Historical Society of Missouri for partial funding of this project through the Richard S. Brownlee Fund.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anthropology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA

    Daniel J. Wescott & Stephanie D. Golda

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA

    Daniel J. Wescott

  3. McCrone Research Institute, Chicago, IL, 60616, USA

    Kelly Brinsko

  4. Laboratory of Bioanthropology and Ancient DNA, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel

    Marina Faerman

  5. Columbia Police Department, Major Crimes Unit, Columbia, MO, 65201, USA

    Jeff Nichols

  6. Department of Medical Microbiology, University of College London, London, UK

    Mark Spigelman

  7. The Kuvin Center for the Study of Tropical and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel

    Mark Spigelman

  8. Blue Springs, MO, 64015, USA

    Bob Stewart

  9. Department of Anthropology, Boise State University, Boise, ID, 83725, USA

    Margaret Streeter

  10. Department of Anthropology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA

    Robert H. Tykot

  11. The Kuvin Center for the Study of Tropical and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel

    Ljuba Zamstein

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  1. Daniel J. Wescott
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Correspondence to Daniel J. Wescott.

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Wescott, D.J., Brinsko, K., Faerman, M. et al. A Fisk patent metallic burial case from Western Missouri: an interdisciplinary and comprehensive effort to reconstruct the history of an early settler of Lexington, Missouri. Archaeol Anthropol Sci 2, 283–305 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-010-0045-9

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