Lost and then found: The Mendes Correia Collection of identified human skeletons curated at the University of Porto, Portugal

Hugo Cardoso,Luisa Marinho

doi:10.14195/2182-7982_32_1

Abstract

Among the several human skeletal reference collections that have been amassed in Portugal, there is one that has remained in nearly anonymity for its almost entire existence. The collection was initiated by Mendes Correia who collected abandoned skeletal remains from cemeteries of the city of Porto circa 1912-1917. Over the years and for unknown reasons its original documentation was lost and the collection has been treated as an unidentified assemblage of specimens for many years. Two previously unnoticed publications from the 1920’s were found to have published basic biographic data for each individual in the collection, thus restituting some of the lost information. The surviving Mendes Correia Collection is currently located at the Natural History Museum and at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto. It is comprised of 99 individuals of known sex, age, and nativity, whose skeletons are found in various states of completeness. They represent a segment of the population of the city of Porto who were born throughout the 19th century. It is hoped that the information gathered and provided here can restore some of the lost research value of the Mendes Correia skeletal reference collection.

Highlights

There have been several reviews of the history of the study of entheseal changes (EC) in recent years, all focussing on global perspectives (Jurmain et al, 2012; Schlecht, 2012; Henderson and Alves Cardoso, 2013)
An enthesis is the skeletal attachment of the musculoskeletal soft tissues, e.g. ligaments, tendons, and joint capsule, as well as being functionally associated with other neighbouring (Henderson, 2008; 2009; Jurmain et al, structures (Benjamin et al, 2002; 2004; 2012; Henderson, 2013b; Villotte et al, Tan et al, 2007)
Anthropologists in 2012, at a symposium circumscribed surface devoid of pores entitled “Working Nine to Five: The future (Henderson, 2009). To put this more of activity-related stress”, organised and all visual recording methods pool chaired by two postdoctoral researchers a variety of changes and the locations of working in Portugal, at the research these changes into one final score which centres of CIAS and Centre for Research in Anthropology (CRIA)

Summary

Introduction

There have been several reviews of the history of the study of entheseal changes (EC) in recent years, all focussing on global perspectives (Jurmain et al, 2012; Schlecht, 2012; Henderson and Alves Cardoso, 2013). Villotte used outside of continental Europe (Jurmain identified skeletal collections in Portugal, et al, 2012) They found, using a slight and elsewhere, to develop a new modification of Crubézys method, that biologically appropriate visual recording. The two members of the variability in normal morphology this group developed new terminology of fibrous entheses means that there for changes associated with the enthesis is currently no biologically appropriate sites, based on the anatomical and method for scoring these as present or clinical literature (Jurmain and Villotte, absent (Cardoso and Henderson, 2010; 2010).

Recording methods have typically

Conclusions

Preface to special issue entheseal