Sacred Heritage

Gilchrist, Roberta

doi:10.1017/9781108678087

Cited by 34 publications

References 232 publications

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Medieval monastic health: Variation in skeletal signs of inflammation and developmental stress between religious orders in London

DeWitte

2024

American J Hum Biol

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ObjectivesPrevious bioarchaeological analyses of medieval monastic and nonmonastic cemeteries in London revealed evidence of lower risks of mortality, and thus better health, in the monastic settings. However, comparison of the two monastic communities, Bermondsey Abbey and Merton Priory, which adhered to different religious ideals, suggested lower risks of mortality in the former. This study examines patterns of skeletal biomarkers, which reflect developmental stress or inflammation, in an attempt to clarify the possible underlying mechanisms producing apparent health differences in these monastic communities.Materials and MethodsThis study uses skeletal data on age‐at‐death, periosteal new bone formation (PNBF), and cribra orbitalia from 558 adults (18 years of age and older) estimated to be male from Bermondsey Abbey and Merton Priory. Biomarker age patterns are assessed via Kaplan–Meier survival analysis and binary logistic regression. Differences in frequencies of biomarkers between the monastic sites are evaluated using Chi‐square and hierarchical log‐linear analyses.ResultsIn general, PNBF is positively associated with age, and cribra orbitalia is negatively associated with age. The frequency of PNBF formation is significantly higher and that of cribra orbitalia is significantly lower in Bermondsey Abbey compared with Merton Priory.ConclusionsThe differences in frequencies of these skeletal biomarkers support previous findings suggesting that health conditions were better in Bermondsey Abbey than in Merton Priory. The age patterns of cribra orbitalia suggest that these differences reflect conditions and the greater health‐promoting effects of religiosity or isolation from the lay community in Bermondsey Abbey rather than differences in selective admissions processes.

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Medieval monastic health: Variation in skeletal signs of inflammation and developmental stress between religious orders in London

DeWitte

2024

American J Hum Biol

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King Olaf's men? Contextualizing Viking burials at S:t Olofsholm, Gotland, Sweden

Geber

Pickard

Macaud

et al. 2023

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

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The discovery of burials at S:t Olofsholm, a site associated with the Saint Olaf cult on Gotland in Sweden, has enabled a bioarchaeological contextualization of medieval legends and sagas in conjunction with the archaelogical record. This study seeks to illuminate who were buried at S:t Olofsholm, through a biocultural lens, and whether these burials can be linked to folklore and sagas associated with the site. Five burials of possibly six individuals (cal. AD 980-1270) were assessed macroscopically and through stable isotope analysis (δ 13 C, δ 15 N, δ 34 S, 87 Sr/ 86 Sr, and δ 18 O) of incremental dentine, bulk enamel, and bone samples. Sagas and legends associated with S:t Olofsholm mention episodes of conflict and contact involving King Olaf Haraldsson of Norway (later canonized as Saint Olaf), Gutes and Icelanders, and travels between Norway and Kyiv Rus. Two (or three) burials show signs of violent deaths, including evidence of sharp force trauma and burning. Isotope analyses indicate local and non-local signals, with possible links to southern Scandinavia, Britain, Iceland, the Baltics, and Kyiv Rus. In general, the evidence neither challenges nor confirms the legends and sagas associated with S:t Olofsholm. Instead, the findings illustrate the site's function as an early Christian place of worship within a wider Viking world that was characterized by travel and contact across the Baltic Sea, Scandinavia, and beyond. The burials at S:t Olofsholm are likely to be non-normative as indicated by their place of interment and the violent cause of death of most individuals.

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Archaeology, Ethics, and Armed Conflict

Clack¹

2020

Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology

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Sacred Heritage

Cited by 34 publications

References 232 publications

Medieval monastic health: Variation in skeletal signs of inflammation and developmental stress between religious orders in London

Medieval monastic health: Variation in skeletal signs of inflammation and developmental stress between religious orders in London

King Olaf's men? Contextualizing Viking burials at S:t Olofsholm, Gotland, Sweden

Archaeology, Ethics, and Armed Conflict

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