Life and death of the Poor Clare nuns of the Holy Trinity in Monte Sant'Angelo (Puglia, Southern Italy): archaeological, anthropological, pathological, botanical, entomological, textile, chemical and documentary data

This study presents the first multidisciplinary results of the archaeological investigations conducted in the crypt of the Poor Clares of the Holy Trinity in Monte Sant'Angelo (Foggia, Puglia, Italy). This monastery was constructed in 1404 and rebuilt in around 1630. Beneath the nave of the church, there is an underground crypt, which comprises four rooms in which the members of a community of nuns were buried between the early 17th century and the late 19th century. The skeletal remains were laid on wooden boards crafted from white fir, wearing monastic habits and holding rosaries bearing medals and crucifixes. The climatic conditions of the crypt have enabled histological, parasitic, wood and textile materials to be preserved. The skeletal sample consists of approximately 20 bodies, and the remains of other individuals were moved into corners to accommodate new burials. All of them were covered with quicklime, as confirmed by spectroscopic analysis. The assemblage is composed of the remains of elderly women - with the exception of one young nun - who devoted their lives to cooking, sewing painting and silversmithing. From osteological analysis, it is evident that these individuals were accustomed to kneeling for praying and lifting weights during their cloistered life. Numerous pathologies have been recorded among the skeletons, including severe osteoarthritis on the hands, back, knees and feet, but also traumas from accidents such as leg fractures. All the data were cross-referenced with documentary sources, particularly the diary of a nun named Donna Constantia, which provides insights into the community's lifestyle, health, clothing and rituals as well as the composition of the community and the social relations between the nuns and the outside world. The excavation is part of an ongoing project aimed not only at making the crypt accessible to visitors, but also at recovering the oldest church dating back to the 15th century, where the remains of other nuns may still be preserved.