School of Geography, Archaeology and Palaeoecology

Deirdre Drain

Deirdre Drain

Qualifications

MSc University of Edinburgh 2011
BA University of California Los Angeles 2010

Postgraduate

Email: ddrain02@qub.ac.uk

Address

School of Geography, Archaeology and Palaeoecology (GAP)
Queen’s University Belfast
Belfast, BT7 1NN
Northern Ireland, UK

Current Research: Past Cultural Change (PCC)

A Comparative Osteoarchaeological Analysis of Health Status in the Urban vs. Rural Populations of Late Medieval Ireland

The focus of my study is to expand our knowledge of the health status of individuals living in Ireland during the late medieval period. Health status of these individuals and the respective populations from which the came will be ascertained by the examination of markers of physiological stress; these include but are not limited to stature, age-at-death, evidence of maxillary sinusitis and porotic hyperostosis .Through my osteological analysis I hope to ascertain whether there existed a statistically significant difference in the health of those who lived in an urban environment as compared to those living in a rural one. Given the socio-cultural, political, and environmental differences which existed between the urban and rural areas of late medieval Ireland, it would be expected to find these differences manifested on the skeletal remains of the individuals who lived during this time.

Supervisors

1st Supervisor: Dr. Eileen Murphy
2st Supervisors: Dr. Audrey Horning

Additional Information:

Education

University of Edinburgh-2011
MSc in Osteoarchaeology
Thesis title “Mysticism to Modern Medicine: Trepanations and the Distinguishing Features in the Archaeological Record

University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)-2010
BA in Anthropology- Cum Laude