Osteological analysis of human remains found within passageways at the old parish church of St Catherine (known as St Gregory), Żejtun (Malta)

Abstract

The 1969 discovery of commingled human remains found in the hidden rooftop passageways of the 15th century old parish of St Catherine’s, now known as the Chapel of St Gregory (San Girgor) in Żejtun (Malta), has intrigued locals for decades. Believed to be the remains of victims of an Ottoman attack in the 17th century, studies conducted on these remains ten years after being discovered left unanswered questions surrounding their temporal period, population affinity and how they came to be in these passageways. Demographic analysis (sex, age, and ancestry) using metric and non-metric skeletal analysis is performed in this study, incorporating radiocarbon dating results and extensive archival research. To obtain evidence that the site is not a primary burial, studies are performed on antemortem fractures, postmortem taphonomic processes, and tool marks to rule out interpersonal violence. In addition, using GIS (geographic information systems) software, a ‘geographical landscape’ on human bone is created to visualize large amounts of osteological data. Femurs are used as base maps on which features are ‘mapped’ to determine density patterns that provide a spatial representation of data. This study demonstrates the advantages of using several techniques to understand commingled remains in archaeological and historical settings and encourages the future use of GIS in documenting, collecting, and analysing human remains. The concluding results show that the remains found in the passageways make up at least ninety-two males and females who are primarily older adults, originally buried elsewhere. Although most of the individuals are of European ancestry, five of the individuals are deemed to be most probably sub-Saharan enslaved persons, substantiated by information found in the parish archives.