Out of Darkness, Cometh Light': Life and Death in Nineteenth-Century Wolverhampton : Excavation of the overflow burial ground of St Peter's Collegiate Church, Wolverhampton 2001-2002

These excavations on an overflow burial ground recorded 152 human burials, dating to the mid-19th century. Anthropological analysis was carried out on 150 skeletons, revealing some striking results. An assessment of the pathology of the skeletons revealed a wide variety of diseases, conditions and trauma, including cases of tuberculosis, osteoarthritis, infectious diseases, syphilis, malignant tumours, and dental diseases. The archaeological evidence, scientific analysis of the skeletal remains, and the documentary research provide an important basis from which to reconstruct the lives and deaths of the people living in central Wolverhampton during the 19th century.