Papers by Susana Henriques
Arqueologia em Portugal, 2023- Estado da Questão, 2023
Entre os séculos XVI e XVIII funcionaram na Rua do Recolhimento (Lisboa) um Hospital Militar e re... more Entre os séculos XVI e XVIII funcionaram na Rua do Recolhimento (Lisboa) um Hospital Militar e respetiva necrópole, cuja terceira fase de utilização revelou 18 valas comuns com 69 enterramentos. Os dados de antropologia funerária e paleodemografia foram analisados com o objetivo de perceber a relação entre este ritual funerário e as “pestes” da época. Os indivíduos, compatíveis com uma população militar, estavam maioritariamente inumados em valas com 3 e 4 enterramentos, em decúbito dorsal e orientação O-E/E-O. O espólio era escasso e pessoal. Este ritual parece refletir uma adaptação ao espaço disponível de inumação face ao número de mortes possivelmente causadas pelas “pestes” da época.
Arqueologia em Portugal, 2023 -Estado da Questão, 2023
Na Rua das Escolas Gerais nº 61 identificou-se três realidades arqueológicas que vão desde o sécu... more Na Rua das Escolas Gerais nº 61 identificou-se três realidades arqueológicas que vão desde o século XVIII até ao XIX. As mudanças funcionais e de organização espacial são características de uma grande urbe, mais ainda quando aliadas a uma catástrofe como o terramoto de 1755. Onde se viu a oportunidade de melhorar o sistema de saneamento e alargar as vias da cidade. Com o desenvolvimento da cidade do século XIX verifica-se a uma maior urbanização e mais uma vez ao alargamento de vias que ainda remetiam para um urbanismo medieval.
The necropolis found in Rua do Recolhimento 7/9, Castle of São Jorge, Lisbon, Portugal, correspon... more The necropolis found in Rua do Recolhimento 7/9, Castle of São Jorge, Lisbon, Portugal, corresponds to the military hospital cemetery, located nearby, in activity from the 16th to the 18th centuries. During the archaeological excavation both individual, multiple, and mass graves as well as ossuaries were identified. Space management becomes evident on several burials, mainly with overlap of other burials that end cutting the oldest ones, skeletons in supine, ventral and lateral position (and against walls), not always in conformity with the canonical Christian rules. This post-medieval necropolis presents an array of funerary practices as a reflection of the Lisbon modern society, transmitting social, cultural and religious worries, becoming a public health issue due to the amount of bodies deposit in such a small space and in a short time
A modern necropolis from which 841 burials and 23 ossuaries were recovered was identified in the ... more A modern necropolis from which 841 burials and 23 ossuaries were recovered was identified in the building located at Rua do Recolhimento 7/9, at the intramural area of Castelo de São Jorge (Lisbon, Portugal), near the former Soldiers’ Hospital. The osteological element here presented belonged to ossuary No. 11 (950 bones, NMI = 116). It is a mandibular fragment (anterior portion of the right side) which presents exuberant pathology signs. After being cleaned, the fragment was observed macroscopically and submitted to imaging. The differential diagnosis took into account the shape, structure, size and location of changes. The pathological alterations consist in an outstanding 12mm-long bony growth on the lingual surface of the mandible. Two bony growths also appear on the labial surface. The mandible exhibits a rather visible non-uniform bone thickness. Complete ante mortem tooth loss was observed in the recovered mandible portion. The differential diagnosis of the pathological alterations led us to consider several possibilities, namely: trauma, neoplasia, osteomyelitis and a more exuberant discreet character (mandibular torus). The aim of this paper is to highlight the ossuary-type contexts which, albeit often neglected, can be an important source of information in palaeopathological studies
The necropolis found in Rua do Recolhimento 7/9, Castle of São Jorge, Lisbon, Portugal, correspon... more The necropolis found in Rua do Recolhimento 7/9, Castle of São Jorge, Lisbon, Portugal, corresponds to the military hospital cemetery, located nearby, in activity from the 16th to the 18th centuries. During the archaeological excavation both individual, multiple, and mass graves as well as ossuaries were identified. Space management becomes evident on several burials, mainly with overlap of other burials that end cutting the oldest ones, skeletons in supine, ventral and lateral position (and against walls), not always in conformity with the canonical Christian rules. This post-medieval necropolis presents an array of funerary practices as a reflection of the Lisbon modern society, transmitting social, cultural and religious worries, becoming a public health issue due to the amount of bodies deposit in such a small space and in a short time
Arqueologia em Portugal 2020 - Estado da Questão, 2020
A necrópole identifcada na Rua do Recolhimento 7/9, Castelo de São Jorge (Lisboa, Portugal) corre... more A necrópole identifcada na Rua do Recolhimento 7/9, Castelo de São Jorge (Lisboa, Portugal) corresponderá
ao cemitério do Hospital Militar, localizado nas proximidades, activo entre os Séculos XVI e XVIII. Durante a
escavação arqueológica foram identifcadas sepulturas individuais, múltiplas, valas comuns e ossários. A organização espacial torna-se evidente em vários enterramentos, com a sobreposição de enterramentos que cortam
os mais antigos, tendo sido observados esqueletos em decúbito dorsal, ventral e lateral (alguns contra paredes/
muros), nem sempre em conformidade com a regra canónica cristã.
Nesta necrópole da Idade Moderna existe uma grande variedade de práticas funerárias que refletem o tratamento da morte na moderna sociedade de Lisboa, transmitindo as suas preocupações sociais, culturais e religiosas. Simultaneamente, as práticas funerárias neste local tornaram-se uma ameaça à saúde pública, consequência da quantidade de corpos depositados num limitado espaço, físico e cronológico.
Palavras-chave: Época Moderna, Hospital Militar, Necrópole
Pinho, J.; Henriques, S. Was There a Pre-Roman Occupation in Coimbra, Portugal? The Contribution of Rua Fernandes Thomaz, 72–74 for Understanding Occupation of the Territory of Aeminium during the Transition from the Iron Age to the Roman Era. Heritage 2019, 2, 184-206., 2019
Iron Age studies are scarce for the city of Coimbra, besides the findings from the Machado Castro... more Iron Age studies are scarce for the city of Coimbra, besides the findings from the Machado Castro Museum, and therefore this intervention has revealed an important heritage collection. The recovered artefacts, which can be associated with the indigenous world, reveal regional parallels with Conimbriga, the Aeminium Forum and Lomba do Canho. There is clear evidence of region-wide homogenisation of pottery morphologies, surface treatments and production processes. A structure dated from the period of the Roman emperor Augustus aligned with the steep natural geological profile, with unobstructed views over the Mondego river, was found in the interior of a medieval defensive wall, making it possible to deconstruct the chronological periods of the locale, which is consistent with an Iron Age occupation, since at least the second century B.C. More importantly, it is necessary to understand the spatial contextualisation of this archaeological site through morphological analysis of the pottery in a local and regional context and comprehend the chronological hiatus and settlement between the archaeological sites located in the estuary mouth, from other sites found upstream along the Mondego river.
Books by Susana Henriques
Care, heal, die: the disease read in the bones, 2020
A modern necropolis from which 841 burials and 23 ossuaries were recovered was identified in the ... more A modern necropolis from which 841 burials and 23 ossuaries were recovered was identified in the building located at Rua do Recolhimento 7/9, at the intramural area of Castelo de São Jorge (Lisbon, Portugal), near the former Soldiers’ Hospital. The osteological element here presented belonged to ossuary No. 11 (950 bones, NMI = 116). It is a mandibular fragment (anterior portion of the right side) which presents exuberant pathology signs. After being cleaned, the fragment was observed macroscopically and submitted to imaging. The differential diagnosis took into account the shape, structure, size and location of changes. The pathological alterations consist in an outstanding 12mm-long bony growth on the lingual surface of the mandible. Two bony growths also appear on the labial surface. The mandible exhibits a rather visible non-uniform bone thickness. Complete ante mortem tooth loss was observed in the recovered mandible portion. The differential diagnosis of the pathological alterations led us to consider several possibilities, namely: trauma, neoplasia, osteomyelitis and a more exuberant discreet character (mandibular torus). The aim of this paper is to highlight the ossuary-type contexts which, albeit often neglected, can be an important source of information in palaeopathological studies.
Conference Presentations by Susana Henriques
XVI National and international congress of Paleopathology , 2022
This work aims to discuss the lesions identified in a young adult male recovered from a mass grav... more This work aims to discuss the lesions identified in a young adult male recovered from a mass grave from a military hospital used between the 17th and 18th centuries in São Jorge Castle, Lisbon, Portugal. The Royal Military Hospital was founded in the late 16th century, probably in 1580, collapsing with the earthquake of 1st November 1755.
Age-at-death estimation was based on the incomplete fusion of the sternal end of the clavicle and the iliac crest, whereas sex estimation was made through the maximum length of the talus. During the macroscopic analysis of the skeletal remains, two ante-mortem fractures were identified, namely one compression fracture in a lumbar vertebra and a transverse fracture in the sacrum, more specifically in the fourth sacral segment. In young individuals, these fractures usually occur due to direct traumas such as falls. Also, other conditions like osteoporosis, infectious diseases, and neoplasms may cause these fractures. Given the age of the individual, the absence of osteolytic lesions in the lumbar vertebrae, and the fact that the individual was inhumed in a military hospital cemetery, the occurrence of both fractures at the same moment, caused by a fall, emerges as most probable. These incidents may be a consequence of the hard activities related to the military environment. The possible treatments for fractures in the sacrum consist in bed rest or surgery with a time of recovery varying between one month to five years. These fractures can cause neurological damage, especially compromising the function of the bowel and bladder. Since this individual presented two lesions in the spine, he would need an extensive neurological assessment.
7th Portuguese Conference on Paleopathology, 2021
This presentation aims to discuss the lesions presented by an individual buried in the municipal ... more This presentation aims to discuss the lesions presented by an individual buried in the municipal Christian cemetery of Torres Novas (1836-1940), located inside the city castle. The skeleton was one of two recovered in a recent intervention motivated by the improvement of accesses to the castle. It is only represented by the left lower limb and part of the right foot, and probably belonged to a young adult male (sex and age-at-death estimated based on the macroscopic observation on the talus/calcaneus/femur head dimensions and epiphyseal fusion, respectively). The proximal end of the left tibia presents a sub-circular depression (c.10x10 mm), with round and smooth edges and internal porosity, exposing the trabecular bone on the articular surface of the medial condyle. The medial condyle of the left femur also exhibits a small (c.8x8 mm) circular area with a polished appearance. The distal half of the left fibula presents an expressive thickening. Proliferative periosteal reaction is observable in the calcaneus, talus, tibia, femur, and patella. The differential diagnosis of these lesions was made, including conditions such as direct trauma, trauma resulting from mechanical stress, and/or bone avascularization which probably led to osteochondritis dissecans (OD). OD is characterized by the formation of a cavity in the synovial joint surfaces, being most often identified on the distal joint surface of the femur. The absence of ossicle indicates that the lesion would still be active at the time of the individual's death. OD cases are rarely studied in contemporary osteological archeological material, and this case is an important testimony to the understanding of the disease etiology and of the health of recent populations in Torres Novas.
Skeletons, Stories, and Social Bodies Conference, 2018
Burial rituals concern the dead but reflect the needs of the living. This is evident on the necro... more Burial rituals concern the dead but reflect the needs of the living. This is evident on the necropolis identified in Rua do Recolhimento 7/9, Lisbon, Portugal. Obituary records refer to two cemeteries in the Castle of S. Jorge (Lisbon), one belonging to the Church of St. Cruz, the other to a military hospital, which were in activity from the 16th to 18th centuries. This burial ground presents an area of 120 square meters, with at least 500 burials, and it is probably related to the hospital/prison. Through the space occupation (both in area and depth) of the site it was possible to identify different funerary practices related with cultural, religious and practical aspects. During the archaeological excavation both individual, multiple and mass graves were identified. There were also many ossuaries with a low minimum number of individuals (MNI) and a major one with a relatively high MNI (±100), which would had been in use for a long time. Space management becomes evident on several burials, mainly with overlap of other burials that ending cutting the oldest ones, depositions of the bodies in supine, ventral and lateral disposition (and against walls) not always in conformity with the canonical Christian deposition. Even though there are evidences of the use of coffins (nails), most of the burials were done directly on the ground with only a shroud. The contemporary records indicate that prisoners were also buried on the military hospital cemetery. This poses the question if is it possible to differentially identify these burials by the funerary practices. This post-medieval necropolis, as a reflection of Lisbon modern society, presents an array of funerary practices transmitting social, cultural and religious worries, becoming a public health issue due to the amount of bodies deposit in such a small space and in a short time.
XIV Congreso Nacional e Internacional de Paleopatología, 2017
No edifício situado na Rua do Recolhimento 7/9, localizado na área intramuros do Castelo de São J... more No edifício situado na Rua do Recolhimento 7/9, localizado na área intramuros do Castelo de São Jorge (Lisboa, Portugal), identificou-se um conjunto de estruturas e uma necrópole de época moderna, ocupando a maior parte da área interior e exterior do edificado. Este local encontrava-se nas proximidades do Hospital dos Soldados e da Casa do Recolhimento das meninas órfãs. Até ao momento foram recuperados 180 enterramentos e 20 ossários, estes com um número mínimo de indivíduos (NMI) de 170. O caso aqui apresentado foi recuperado do ossário 11 (c. 950 ossos, alguns com evidências de várias patologias; NMI=93, maioritariamente adultos do sexo masculino). Trata-se de um fragmento mandibular (porção anterior do lado direito), que apresenta sinais exuberantes de eventual patologia. O fragmento foi cuidadosamente limpo em laboratório, observado macroscopicamente sob boas condições de iluminação e radiografado. As medições da lesão foram efetuadas com uma craveira e registadas em mm. O diagnóstico diferencial teve em consideração a forma, estrutura, tamanho e localização das alterações. O fragmento mandibular apresenta um crescimento ósseo protuberante, com cerca de 12mm de comprimento, na face lingual onde se localizam as espinhas mentais. Na face labial são visíveis dois locais com crescimentos ósseos. A mandíbula apresenta um espessamento ósseo bastante expressivo e pouco uniforme. Registou-se perda ante mortem total da dentição da porção observável. Discute-se como causa mais provável para as lesões observadas uma origem traumática. No entanto outras possibilidades diagnósticas são consideradas, nomeadamente uma origem neoplásica (onde o crescimento ósseo se pode manifestar de forma desorganizada) ou um caracter discreto mais exuberante (torus mandibular), ainda que o seu desenvolvimento ocorra, normalmente, de forma bilateral.
Posters by Susana Henriques
7th Portuguese Conference on Paleopathology, 2021
This presentation aims to discuss the lesions presented by an individual buried in the municipal ... more This presentation aims to discuss the lesions presented by an individual buried in the municipal Christian cemetery of Torres Novas (1836-1940), located inside the city castle. The skeleton was one of two recovered in a recent intervention motivated by the improvement of accesses to the castle. It is only represented by the left lower limb and part of the right foot, and probably belonged to a young adult male (sex and age-at-death estimated based on the macroscopic observation on the talus/calcaneus/femur head dimensions and epiphyseal fusion, respectively).
The proximal end of the left tibia presents a sub-circular depression (c.10x10 mm), with round and smooth edges and internal porosity, exposing the trabecular bone on the articular surface of the medial condyle. The medial condyle of the left femur also exhibits a small (c.8x8 mm) circular area with a polished appearance. The distal half of the left fibula presents an expressive thickening. Proliferative periosteal reaction is observable in the calcaneus, talus, tibia, femur, and patella.
The differential diagnosis of these lesions was made, including conditions such as direct trauma, trauma resulting from mechanical stress, and/or bone avascularization which probably led to osteochondritis dissecans (OD).
OD is characterized by the formation of a cavity in the synovial joint surfaces, being most often identified on the distal joint surface of the femur. The absence of ossicle indicates that the lesion would still be active at the time of the individual's death.
OD cases are rarely studied in contemporary osteological archeological material, and this case is an important testimony to the understanding of the disease etiology and of the health of recent populations in Torres Novas.
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Papers by Susana Henriques
ao cemitério do Hospital Militar, localizado nas proximidades, activo entre os Séculos XVI e XVIII. Durante a
escavação arqueológica foram identifcadas sepulturas individuais, múltiplas, valas comuns e ossários. A organização espacial torna-se evidente em vários enterramentos, com a sobreposição de enterramentos que cortam
os mais antigos, tendo sido observados esqueletos em decúbito dorsal, ventral e lateral (alguns contra paredes/
muros), nem sempre em conformidade com a regra canónica cristã.
Nesta necrópole da Idade Moderna existe uma grande variedade de práticas funerárias que refletem o tratamento da morte na moderna sociedade de Lisboa, transmitindo as suas preocupações sociais, culturais e religiosas. Simultaneamente, as práticas funerárias neste local tornaram-se uma ameaça à saúde pública, consequência da quantidade de corpos depositados num limitado espaço, físico e cronológico.
Palavras-chave: Época Moderna, Hospital Militar, Necrópole
Books by Susana Henriques
Conference Presentations by Susana Henriques
Age-at-death estimation was based on the incomplete fusion of the sternal end of the clavicle and the iliac crest, whereas sex estimation was made through the maximum length of the talus. During the macroscopic analysis of the skeletal remains, two ante-mortem fractures were identified, namely one compression fracture in a lumbar vertebra and a transverse fracture in the sacrum, more specifically in the fourth sacral segment. In young individuals, these fractures usually occur due to direct traumas such as falls. Also, other conditions like osteoporosis, infectious diseases, and neoplasms may cause these fractures. Given the age of the individual, the absence of osteolytic lesions in the lumbar vertebrae, and the fact that the individual was inhumed in a military hospital cemetery, the occurrence of both fractures at the same moment, caused by a fall, emerges as most probable. These incidents may be a consequence of the hard activities related to the military environment. The possible treatments for fractures in the sacrum consist in bed rest or surgery with a time of recovery varying between one month to five years. These fractures can cause neurological damage, especially compromising the function of the bowel and bladder. Since this individual presented two lesions in the spine, he would need an extensive neurological assessment.
Posters by Susana Henriques
The proximal end of the left tibia presents a sub-circular depression (c.10x10 mm), with round and smooth edges and internal porosity, exposing the trabecular bone on the articular surface of the medial condyle. The medial condyle of the left femur also exhibits a small (c.8x8 mm) circular area with a polished appearance. The distal half of the left fibula presents an expressive thickening. Proliferative periosteal reaction is observable in the calcaneus, talus, tibia, femur, and patella.
The differential diagnosis of these lesions was made, including conditions such as direct trauma, trauma resulting from mechanical stress, and/or bone avascularization which probably led to osteochondritis dissecans (OD).
OD is characterized by the formation of a cavity in the synovial joint surfaces, being most often identified on the distal joint surface of the femur. The absence of ossicle indicates that the lesion would still be active at the time of the individual's death.
OD cases are rarely studied in contemporary osteological archeological material, and this case is an important testimony to the understanding of the disease etiology and of the health of recent populations in Torres Novas.
ao cemitério do Hospital Militar, localizado nas proximidades, activo entre os Séculos XVI e XVIII. Durante a
escavação arqueológica foram identifcadas sepulturas individuais, múltiplas, valas comuns e ossários. A organização espacial torna-se evidente em vários enterramentos, com a sobreposição de enterramentos que cortam
os mais antigos, tendo sido observados esqueletos em decúbito dorsal, ventral e lateral (alguns contra paredes/
muros), nem sempre em conformidade com a regra canónica cristã.
Nesta necrópole da Idade Moderna existe uma grande variedade de práticas funerárias que refletem o tratamento da morte na moderna sociedade de Lisboa, transmitindo as suas preocupações sociais, culturais e religiosas. Simultaneamente, as práticas funerárias neste local tornaram-se uma ameaça à saúde pública, consequência da quantidade de corpos depositados num limitado espaço, físico e cronológico.
Palavras-chave: Época Moderna, Hospital Militar, Necrópole
Age-at-death estimation was based on the incomplete fusion of the sternal end of the clavicle and the iliac crest, whereas sex estimation was made through the maximum length of the talus. During the macroscopic analysis of the skeletal remains, two ante-mortem fractures were identified, namely one compression fracture in a lumbar vertebra and a transverse fracture in the sacrum, more specifically in the fourth sacral segment. In young individuals, these fractures usually occur due to direct traumas such as falls. Also, other conditions like osteoporosis, infectious diseases, and neoplasms may cause these fractures. Given the age of the individual, the absence of osteolytic lesions in the lumbar vertebrae, and the fact that the individual was inhumed in a military hospital cemetery, the occurrence of both fractures at the same moment, caused by a fall, emerges as most probable. These incidents may be a consequence of the hard activities related to the military environment. The possible treatments for fractures in the sacrum consist in bed rest or surgery with a time of recovery varying between one month to five years. These fractures can cause neurological damage, especially compromising the function of the bowel and bladder. Since this individual presented two lesions in the spine, he would need an extensive neurological assessment.
The proximal end of the left tibia presents a sub-circular depression (c.10x10 mm), with round and smooth edges and internal porosity, exposing the trabecular bone on the articular surface of the medial condyle. The medial condyle of the left femur also exhibits a small (c.8x8 mm) circular area with a polished appearance. The distal half of the left fibula presents an expressive thickening. Proliferative periosteal reaction is observable in the calcaneus, talus, tibia, femur, and patella.
The differential diagnosis of these lesions was made, including conditions such as direct trauma, trauma resulting from mechanical stress, and/or bone avascularization which probably led to osteochondritis dissecans (OD).
OD is characterized by the formation of a cavity in the synovial joint surfaces, being most often identified on the distal joint surface of the femur. The absence of ossicle indicates that the lesion would still be active at the time of the individual's death.
OD cases are rarely studied in contemporary osteological archeological material, and this case is an important testimony to the understanding of the disease etiology and of the health of recent populations in Torres Novas.