Press

ALBANY, NY – The winter issue of Historical Archaeology features an article, co-authored by several local archaeologists, on the health conditions of past Albanians, representing the largest available database for the study of parasitic infection in colonial-era American cities.

Much of the data in the journal article, published in late December, was gathered during the large-scale archaeological excavations in downtown Albany over the past 10 years, for projects such as the DEC headquarters building on Broadway, the SUNY headquarters parking garage on Maiden Lane, the Quackenbush Square parking garage on Orange Street and the Pearl Street Reconstruction Project, among others.

The lead author of the paper, Dr. Charles “Chuck” L. Fisher, the State Museum’s former curator of historic archaeology, passed away in February 2007. Before his untimely death, Dr. Fisher worked to mount the current exhibition at the Museum featuring the artifacts collected from many of the downtown Albany excavations -- Beneath the City: An Archaeological Perspective of Albany. The exhibition gallery was subsequently named The Charles L. Fisher Gallery.

The Journal article -- Privies and Parasites: The Archaeology of Health Conditions in Albany, New York -- was co-authored by Dr. Karl Reinhard of the University of Nebraska, and Matthew Kirk and Justin DiVirgilio of the local archaeological firm Hartgen Archeological Associates, Inc.

The article cites microscopic evidence of parasite eggs in various archaeological deposits, indicating widespread, endemic disease in Albany’s population, from as early as the 1640s to the 1880s. High numbers of parasite eggs were noted in the late 18thcentury as the city’s population expanded, but the availability of clean drinking water, adequate sewage systems, and efficacy of modern medicines lagged. As time went on, the government equipped the city with facilities to provide for clean water and proper sewage. As a result, the number of parasite eggs in archaeological deposits decreased, despite rapid population expansion. Although not a major health threat in and of themselves, the wormy parasites indicated in the archaeological record suggest that other, more serious, fecal-borne diseases persistently plagued city residents into the 20thcentury. These included E-Coli, Salmonella and Cholera.

Historical Archaeology is the scholarly journal of The Society for Historical Archaeology. Additional information is available at www.sha.org.

Hartgen Archeological Associates, Inc. is New York State’s largest privately-owned archaeological firm, providing a full range of archaeological services for all phases of cultural resource management. Over the past 30 years, Hartgen Archeological Associates, Inc. has completed over 5,000 cultural resource studies throughout New York State and New England -- a recognized leader in the field with offices in New York City, Rensselaer, N.Y., Albany, N.Y. and Putney, Vt.

The New York State Museum is a cultural program of the New York State Education Department. Started in 1836, the Museum has the longest continuously operating state natural history research and collection survey in the United States. Located on Madison Avenue in Albany, the Museum is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission is free. Further information can be obtained by calling (518) 474-5877 or visiting the Museum website at www.nysm.nysed.gov.

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