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Founded in 1855, the Mississippi State Asylum saw 30,000 patients pass through its doors before the institution moved in 1935. Expansion of the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC), located on the former asylum property, prompted historical and archaeological investigations of the now-unmarked Asylum Hill Cemetery, which holds the graves of 4000–7000 individuals who died as patients. To raise awareness of the Asylum Hill Project and to spur conversations about mental illness treatment and perceptions in modern America, UMMC partnered with the Mississippi Museum of Art to support an installation by Noah Saterstrom, an internationally-known artist and descendant of a Mississippi State Asylum patient. Saterstrom’s monumental narrative painting detailing his great-grandfather’s declining mental health and ultimate institutionalization was exhibited for 6 months in 2024, accompanied by programming provided by UMMC’s Asylum Hill Research Consortium. Programming centered on a public weaving project that allowed visitors to interact with historical patient demographics embedded in the loom while also experiencing an activity offered as occupational therapy in the asylum. Public presentations by the lead bioarchaeologist focused on osteobiographies of individuals buried at the site. Attendance and participation numbers, survey responses, website traffic, and direct feedback indicate the collaboration achieved its goals.

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Buried Threads: Weaving Narratives Through Art and Bioarchaeology at the Asylum Hill Cemetery

  • 章节

  • 发表日期：

    2025年

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  • Jennifer E. Mack,
  • Lida B. Key,
  • Noah Saterstrom,
  • Emily J. Wicke

摘要

Founded in 1855, the Mississippi State Asylum saw 30,000 patients pass through its doors before the institution moved in 1935. Expansion of the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC), located on the former asylum property, prompted historical and archaeological investigations of the now-unmarked Asylum Hill Cemetery, which holds the graves of 4000–7000 individuals who died as patients. To raise awareness of the Asylum Hill Project and to spur conversations about mental illness treatment and perceptions in modern America, UMMC partnered with the Mississippi Museum of Art to support an installation by Noah Saterstrom, an internationally-known artist and descendant of a Mississippi State Asylum patient. Saterstrom’s monumental narrative painting detailing his great-grandfather’s declining mental health and ultimate institutionalization was exhibited for 6 months in 2024, accompanied by programming provided by UMMC’s Asylum Hill Research Consortium. Programming centered on a public weaving project that allowed visitors to interact with historical patient demographics embedded in the loom while also experiencing an activity offered as occupational therapy in the asylum. Public presentations by the lead bioarchaeologist focused on osteobiographies of individuals buried at the site. Attendance and participation numbers, survey responses, website traffic, and direct feedback indicate the collaboration achieved its goals.