A biocultural analysis of the medieval human remains from Ballyhanna, Co. Donegal.

This research is part of the Ballyhanna Research Project, a cross border academic partnership between Queen’s University Belfast and Institute of Technology Sligo, funded by the National Roads Authority. The Ballyhanna Research Project was established to combine different scientific approaches to the study of the human remains excavated from Ballyhanna in Co. Donegal. Ballyhanna is one of the largest cemetery sites excavated in Ireland to date; approximately 1280 individuals were excavated at this site during the winter of 2003-2004.
The research that I am involved in aims to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the adult skeletal remains from Ballyhanna. Each of the adult skeletons have been examined to determine: biological sex, age-at-death, stature, and any evidence of pathological changes or trauma related injuries which may be present on the adult skeletal remains. As part of a biocultural analysis this primary information will be placed within the cultural context of Gaelic Medieval Ireland. A combined study of historical, archaeological and cartographic evidence will provide an insight into the cultural context of the individuals buried at the Ballyhanna cemetery site. The overall aim of this research is to develop a greater understanding of issues concerning diet, health and lifestyles in a Gaelic Medieval population.

Research Training since July 2006

• Short course in palaeopathology at the University of Bradford. August 2008.
• Ostological age estimation and Palaeodemographic analysis in association with the International Max Planck Research School for Demography at the University of Odense. August 2007.

Conference Presentations and Public Seminars:

• Public Lecture at Ballyshannon as part of the ‘Flight of the Earl’s Festival’: July 2007
• Public Lecture at Letterkenny Museum: March 2007
• The Association of Young Irish Archaeologists Conference 2007: February 2007

Research Interests

• Murphy, E. and McKenzie, C. 2010. Multiple osteochondroma in the archaeological record: A global review. Journal of Archaeological Science 37:2255-2264.
• McKenzie, C. and Murphy, E. In prep. Health in medieval Ireland: The evidence from Ballyhanna, Co. Donegal. In Roads, Rediscovery and Research: Proceedings of a public seminar on archaeological discoveries on the National Road Schemes August 2010. Dublin: National Roads Authority.
• McKenzie, C. 2008. An overview of the palaeopathological analyses of the medieval human remains from Ballyhanna, co. Donegal. In Roads, Rediscovery and Research: Proceedings of a public seminar on archaeological discoveries on National Road Schemes. August 2007. Dublin, National Roads Authority, pp 133-142.
• McKenzie, C. 2007. A general overview of pathological lesions noted during the osteoarchaeological analysis of the first two hundred skeletons from the medieval cemetery site at Ballyhanna, Co. Donegal. In Association of Young Irish Archaeologists Proceedings of the Annual Conference Dublin 2007. Dublin, AYIA.