ABSTRACT

The potential for archaeological science to contribute to post-medieval and later research agendas has been significantly underappreciated in those regional research frameworks that have so far been published. Changes in the environment around water-powered or water-dependent industries could be determined in a similar way, particularly when the date of construction or abandonment provides a chronological framework for the site. One of the most exciting aspects of studying human populations and their health in the industrial period is that documentary records exist for many burial grounds and cemeteries. Bone working may be going on at sites where it is not the principal industry. Dietary waste can also provide information about people's cultural identity. Excavations in Amsterdam, Holland of 100 cess pits yielded animal bones which were used in discriminating the social and religious context of 'contributing' households. It was possible to identify Jewish or non-Jewish homes.