Reassessing Markers of Stress in Medieval London
An article popped up in my news feed yesterday. The title read: “Skeletal marker of physiological stress might indicate good, rather than poor, health“. The summary of the article stated […]
Category Archives: Pathology
Using Teeth to Interpret Social Status and Childhood Health in Historic Japan
Our bones are pretty amazing- they keep a record of what has happened to us throughout our lifetime. Bones show the trauma and disease we faced, how well we healed […]
New Morbid Terminology: Phossy Jaw, The Occupational Disease of Matchstick Makers
There are a range of diseases, traumas and skeletal markers that can occur regularly with certain types of occupations. One historic example is called Tailor’s Notches. These are small indentations […]
So You’ve Got a Hole in Your Head, Now What?
Let’s just say that you are an Iron Age herder living in Switzerland. You’re out walking through your flock of cattle, and one of them gets fiesty and kicks you […]
Scurvy- Not Just For Pirates Anymore!
Regardless of how many articles I read on scurvy, or how many skeletons I’ve seen showing evidence of the deficiency of vitamin C, or how many times I’m reminding that […]
Who Died In The Leprosarium of Saint-Thomas d’Aizier?
Leprosy is a fascinating disease- not just for its effects, but for the social implications of having the disease. Leprosy was an epidemic disease that not only infected millions of […]
New Morbid Terminology: Corpse Medicine
Earlier this week, researchers at Nottingham University were able to recreate a 9th c Anglo-Saxon medical remedy using garlic, onion and part of a cow’s stomach. When I first heard […]
Trepanation! Not Just For Headaches: Tibial Surgery in Ancient Peru
Over the past two years, I’ve been commuting from my home to my university. It’s about an hour drive each way (unless it’s snowing, and then it could be two […]
Comparing Text with Human Remains in Ancient Egypt
Text is an interesting type of artifact. Early historic and archaeological studies often took text as the truth about the past. It was accepted that we could read a passage […]
Using Teeth to Learn About Diet, Cooking and Food Processing in Prehistoric Sudan
How could someone determine what you eat from only examining the things you leave behind? To add to the challenge, you would be hypothetically deceased and unable to communicate your […]
Bones Don't Lie 