The FINANCIAL -- As University of Liverpool said, the discovery was made whilst Shirley was examining the
body as part of a study into ancient diet and disease, where more than
300 skeletal remains are being analysed across the two UK sites.
Shirley explains: “The scientific study of medieval monastic communities provides an excellent snap-shot of the lives of individuals from different social strata; from clerics and lay-workers, to wealthy benefactors. The Middle Ages in Britain was a period where outbreaks of fatally infectious diseases occurred, such as leprosy and tuberculosis, as well as wars fought both at home and abroad.
“The archaeological sites of Norton Priory and Portmahomack were the resting place of ancient monastic communities, some of whom suffered severe trauma, such as blade wounds, and diseases, such as leprosy. Through the reconstruction of their diets, health and diseases, we can learn more about what life was like in medieval Britain, whilst contributing to these important issues in today’s society.
“There have been studies in the past that look at the health of communities in medieval times and those that have looked at diet, but rarely the two together to see how one might impact on the other. I have examined a skeleton with scurvy, for example, but it is clear from the bone that the lesions caused by the disease have healed before death, so it is interesting to look at this in relation to what the bones can tell us about the nutrition of the individual.”Paget’s disease, for example, a condition that causes abnormal bone growth, has been identified in some of the skeletal remains at Norton Priory, but the cause of the disease is still unknown despite it being first diagnosed in the early 19th century. The disease has an unusually high prevalence in North West England today, so data from this study could play a role in understanding it more fully.
Shirley continued: “Observational techniques used to understand the skeletons are coupled with chemical analysis, using the latest technology in isotopic research, to get a clearer picture of what these individuals’ lifestyles were like. Comparing the dietary information that stable isotope analysis gives us, with what we know of the body will help us build a more complete picture of some of the health and wellbeing issues we face today.
“The sites I am researching were places of rest and worship, holding spiritual significance to the local community, as well as being of national and international historical interest to today’s society. Such research is therefore not just about what we can learn from skeletal remains, but also what we can do to ensure that the lives of these ancient communities are remembered well into the future.”
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