Ann Stirland

Musculoskeletal evidence for activity: problems of evaluation

The evaluation of muscle insertions on the humerus, by measurement or by subjective scoring, is discussed. Two archaeological groups, the burials from the Mary Rose and those from a medieval parish cemetery are evaluated, together with a modern X-ray sample of divers, and a method of relating muscles scores to X-ray measurements is tested, with mixed results. These results support other research on the humerus for the men from the Mary Rose, suggesting a professional element within the crew. The X-ray results alone show that the modern sample had more cortical bone than the medieval pooled group and that the ships crew had less asymmetry but larger dimensions than the other archaeological sample. The importance of understanding how muscles work together in groups, and not singly, is stressed.

Patterns of trauma in a unique medieval parish cemetery

The church and cemetery of St Margaret Fyebridgegate, Norwich were in use from AD 1245 to 1468. The cemetery was used to bury both the parishioners and hanged felons. On excavation, 52 group burials of various sizes were encountered, some containing prone individuals. Four hundred and thirteen inhumations have been examined, of which one-third had evidence of episodes of trauma. Comparison is made of the types of trauma present with evidence from the sites of the Blackfriars, Ipswich and the Mary Rose. Evidence is presented for some possible activity-related trauma at two of the sites.

Care in the Medieval community

Evidence from a Medieval parish cemetery in Norwich, England, suggests the presence of a caring, supportive community. As well as episodes of healed trauma and the presence of chronic infectious disease, two severely disabled individuals survived into adulthood. Number 439 (presented at Gottingen in 1994 and extensively discussed since) was at first thought to be suffering from a dysplasia. The general consensus now, however, suggests a juvenile polyepiphyseal disease with arthropathy. Number 253, a young adult male, had widespread osteopenia, with a twisted face, scoliosis, flexion contractures and fused joints; the lesions suggest a neuromuscular disease with paraplegia, possibly cerebral palsy. The presence of these two adults and others suffering from trauma and disease in the cemetery of the poorest parish in Medieval Norwich, strongly suggests that the associated community was a caring one, where physically disabled individuals were supported and those needing nursing were cared for.