Page 51 - Maryland Historical Trust - Archaeology Colonial MD

The smallest coffin contained the remains of a little baby about 6 months old, and perhaps a girl who suffered many health problems includ- ing rickets and scurvy. The second coffin held the remains of an older woman in her 60s who also had many health issues. She had suffered a broken leg that had been poorly set, had advanced arthritis, and the loss of most of her teeth. The large cof- fin contained the remains of a man in his 50s. His upper body was largely transformed into a white crystal substance known as brushite and little remained of his skull. Chemical analysis suggests he may have been embalmed. This is thought to have caused the unusual air found inside his cof- fin. While we found old air, the mix of gases pre- cluded the insights NASA hoped for. Given the condition of the skull, it was astonishing to find that his reddish tinted, shoulder length hair was fully preserved. Immediately after the opening and photographic documentation, pollen samples were taken by palynologist Gerald Kelso and the forensic anthropologists led by Douglas Owsley began examining the remains. Conservators Cur- tis Moyer and Betty Seifert inspected the coffins for fabric and other materials that needed special care for their survival. Among the most obvious of these was a bow of silk ribbon that had been used to tie the wrists of the woman together. All such materials were removed and catalogued and then the bones themselves after measurement were carefully lifted from the coffin and given a speci- men number. Materials left in the coffin were then examined, notable specimens collected and the
debris removed for further study. Finally, pieces of the wooden coffins were taken for preservation and the lead coffins stored until they could be sent to William and Mary for conservation.
The primary analysis over the next two years produced many clues. The pollen told us about the environment and gave the season of death for each individual. Study of the insect remains by entomologist Ted Suman provided the first evidence about 17th-century Maryland insects and where the coffins had been stored prior to their burial. Forensic specialists determined the ages of the people and isotopes revealed they had dwelled in Maryland for a considerable period of time but were not born here. Together, these many clues allowed the team to conclude that the man was almost certainly former governor and Chancellor Philip Calvert, the youngest son of the first Lord Baltimore.
The woman was Philip’s first wife, Anne Wolsley, who died around 1679. The identity of the baby could not be determined but its burial in a lead coffin and placement next to the other two strongly suggested some family relationship. These were obviously important individuals given the lead coffins and prestigious burial location on the right side of the altar, but finding members of Maryland’s founding family is of great signif- icance. And the lead coffins themselves convey meaning about identity.
In England and Europe, lead coffins were used for the burial of royalty and nobility. Some of the aristocracy and wealthy merchants were
figure 37
The skeleton of the baby now known to have been the son of Philip Calvert and Jane Sewell.
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