The skeletal remains of Du Preezhoek, Pretoria, South Africa : a bioarchaeological investigation of an early pioneer family

Abstract

During December of 2006, skeletal remains of eleven individuals were exhumed from the Du Preezhoek cemetery located on the western banks of the Apies River, next to the Old NZASM Bridge, as part of a Heritage Impact Assessment. The excavated cemetery dated to the latter half of the 19th century and contained the remains of early pioneers. The remains were studied before they were reburied in the Du Preez allotment at the Old Church Street West Cemetery. Physical anthropological techniques were used to analyse these skeletons to determine their demographics, health, diet and lifestyles. The demographic information provided comparative data which could be assessed in terms of existing genealogical data, resulting in the potential identification of the remains. The pathological information gathered through the physical anthropological analyses provided insight into these individuals’ lifestyles and a glimpse into pioneer life in 19th century Pretoria.