The Museum of London's Centre for Human Bioarchaeology has a collection of 17,000 skeletons, 26 of which have been selected for display at the Wellcome Collection.
The point of this exhibition is to show the results of modern research into how Londoners lived and died. Initially, this might sound like a rather dry and boring exhibition. But don't be fooled. It's fascinating!
The exhibition tells the stories of some of London's major burial sites, such as the Roman and medieval sites at Spitalfields, Chelsea Old Church and the 19th-Century Cross Bones Cemetery. Contemporary images show what these locations look like now, hidden by factories, office blocks and housing estates.
Spitalfields - A Fascinating Place
Spitalfields is particularly interesting. It has long been one of London's important trading centres. A vegetable market was established there in 1682.
During the 1990s, it was decided to erect an office building on the site of Spitalfields Market. During early excavations a massive burial site was discovered; it contained more than 10,000 medieval interments, dating from 1100 to 1600. Initially, it was assumed that such a large number of burials must have been related to the Black Death. However, Carbon-14 dating shows that these bones predate the first recorded plague epidemic which occurred during the 14th Century. Research indicates the cemetery's corpses were probably victims of an earlier famine caused by a bad harvest.
What was more astonishing was the discovery, beneath the medieval cemetery, of a Roman burial site dating from between AD 200-400. The bones of one Roman male show symptoms of osteoarthritis, something we are all familiar with today.
Cross Bones Cemetery
In Southwark, just south of the River Thames, the Cross Bones Cemetery served the poor of the parish between 1598 and 1853. This burial site was established as a repository for the remains of unmarried women – a euphemism for prostitutes.
We are told that one skeleton shows evidence of syphilis and rickets, two conditions frequently suffered by London's poor. On her skull, one can see lesions caused by syphilis. Her teeth show evidence of poor dental hygiene. The ridges on her teeth were caused by either famine or disease during childhood.
Chelsea Old Church
Formerly known as the Parish Church of the Village of Chelsea, also south of the River Thames, this cemetery has given up some interesting secrets. Excavations in 2000 unearthed 300 18th- and 19th- century skeletons; many have been identified through their coffin plates and biographical information. Evidence gathered shows that they were mainly Chelsea's wealthy inhabitants.
The skeleton of William Wood, butcher and beadle (minor church official), reveals that he suffered from a disease known as DISH, (Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis) or Forestier's Disease. This is a condition suffered mainly by overweight males who enjoyed a high protein diet. The bones of the spine have the appearance of dripping candle wax. Wood's hips show evidence of osteoarthritis where bone surfaces rubbed together and caused changes to the joints. The indications of heavy load-bearing suggest that he was, indeed, obese. Official documents tell us that he died from "decay of nature," aged 84.
Youngest Ever Skeleton
The exhibition also includes a female skeleton with a 22-week foetus in situ. This is believed to be the youngest ever individual recovered from an archaeological site in Britain.
Before you make any jokes about "the dead centre of town" think carefully about what might be lying just a few metres beneath your feet. This fascinating exhibition, open until 28 September 2008, is accompanied by a series of exciting public events. Full details can be obtained from the Wellcome Collection.
Frances Spiegel - Frances Spiegel, B.A. Hons. (Open)., Dip.Eur.Hum., read Art History/European Modern History at the Open University.
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