Recent Research at the Sonoma Developmental Center's 'Home Cemetery' 

The Sonoma Developmental Center operated from 1891-2018, serving thousands of residents who would today be described as intellectually, developmentally, or physically disabled, mentally ill, and/or behaving outside of social norms. Until 1960, its 'Home Cemetery' received the remains of over 1925 residents. This presentation will discuss how archival and archaeological methods are being used to reconstruct the biographies of residents buried in the cemetery who lived during the early 20th century, a time characterized by a growing eugenics movement as well as the 1918-19 influenza pandemic.

Dr. Alexis Boutin is Professor in the Department of Anthropology, and Coordinator of the Cultural Heritage and Resources Management Master’s Program, at Sonoma State University.  Her research focuses on bioarcheology, the study of human remains from archaeological sites. She received her PhD from the University of Pennsylvania in 2008.