ULAS
University of Leicester Archaeological Services

ULAS Osteological Services

To read more about pathology - St. Peters Church and Cemetery: An Insight into the Health of the People of Medieval Leicester click here

ULAS Osteological Services provides consultancy, assessment, excavation and the analysis of human remains (inhumations and cremations) to external clients at competitive rates. External clients include: Albion Archaeology, Archaeological Services & Consultancy Ltd, Archaeological Solutions Ltd, Cotswold Archaeology, Northamptonshire Archaeology and Phoenix Consulting Archaeology Ltd. Download the leaflet here.

Due to major redevelopment of the heart of Leicester, over the past three years ULAS has excavated over five cemetery sites including one of the largest excavations of a medieval parish cemetery within the East Midlands. To enable our unit to deal with such an undertaking, ULAS has established its own Osteological Service. All team members have wide experience in both the excavation and subsequent analysis of human remains.

To this end we provide a comprehensive service (consultancy, assessment, excavation and analysis) which understands the needs of commercial archaeological contractors, whilst maintaining the highest professional standards of archaeological and osteological practice.

Due to the recognised need for standardisation between osteological researchers we have designed and implemented our own detailed skeletal recording system based upon current guidelines. All recording is completely transparent enabling future researchers to use the data recorded with confidence. We have also designed a fully-functional and well-tested skeletal database based upon the recording system into which all data recorded by ULAS Osteological Services is input.

Consultancy
ULAS Osteological Services provides osteological advice and consultancy at competitive rates.
Assessment
ULAS Osteological Services provides assessment reports on small to large skeletal assemblages.
Excavation
ULAS Osteological Services can provide excavation services for human remains from all periods.
Great care and attention in the excavation of human remains. Each skeleton is carefully excavated by experienced staff and is recorded, planned and photographed on site to the highest professional standards.

Team members have experience in dealing with human remains from all periods and all handling and treatment of human remains follows the strictest ethical guidelines. We can tailor excavation procedures to take into account the needs of the site, research objectives, time constraints and budget, without compromising standards and the data collected.

We take great care in recording the burial environment and have experience in excavating and recording a variety of different burial traditions.


Skeletal Analysis
ULAS Osteological Services provides comprehensive analysis of human remains, specialising in both inhumation and cremation burials. Data on the age, sex, cranial metrics and cranial morphology, post cranial metrics and non metric traits, stature, dentition and dental health, pathology and trauma is recorded. All recording is the highest professional standards and keeps up to date with recent advances in the field of osteoarchaeology and current guidelines.

Cremations
Our environmental team have vast experience in dealing with urned and un-urned cremated human remains. Stabilisation of urned cremations, as is the full processing of the associated cremated remains.

Stabilised cremation urn.

Pathological Analysis
All skeletons are examined for any signs of Pathology and Trauma, Metabolic and Endocrine Disorders, Congenital and Developmental Variants, Activity Related Changes

Radiography
We have our own in-house x-ray facilities and x-ray non-adult dentition as standard. Dental x-rays are used to provide a far more accurate method of age estimation in the sub-adult population. We also take x-rays of pathological conditions to aid in diagnosis and interpretation.

Further details
Please contact:
Harriet Anne Jacklin (Project Osteologist)
Phone: (0116) 223 1323
Email: haj4@le.ac.uk

An Insight into the Medieval population of Leicester:- The St. Peter's and St. Michael's skeletons

Currently under construction - please visit again soon!

St Peter’s and St Michael’s Cemeteries were both in use around the same time, between the 13th and 16th century. St Michael’s was eventually abandoned and the remaining parish was absorbed into St Peter’s. The skeletons from St Peter’s and St Michaels represent around 40% of the combined total burial population. It is estimated that both sites originally contained upwards of 4000 individuals.

The combined data of the St Peter’s and St Michael’s skeletons regarding the health and lifestyle of those who lived in medieval Leicester, the like of which has not been generated before. The combined data from the skeletal analysis of the St Peter’s and the St Michael’s skeletons has created a large amount of valuable data, which has enabled us to gain a valuable insight into the health and welfare of medieval population who lived, worshipped and died in the city of Leicester’s north-east quarter. Read more about the excavations here.

Mortality

Childhood was a perilous time, the majority of non-adults (under 21 years) passed away during childhood (between four and twelve years). Infancy (between birth and three years) was also a dangerous time. Many of the non-adults, especially the infants and children showed evidence of ill-health. If surviving childhood, the majority of male and females tended to live into middle age, with slightly more females living into their fifty’s and sixty’s. Slightly more females than males passed away between 21 to 35 years, which may reflect problems during childbearing.

Diet and Malnutrition

Stable isotope (carbon and nitrogen) analysis has provided first hand evidence of the possible diet of those living in medieval Leicester.  Results suggest their diet was predominantly land based, with a very small marine component.  Bone disorders associated with diet and malnutrition found affecting the skeletons include rickets (indicative of vitamin D deficiency), cribra orbitalia and porotic hyperostosis (indicative of iron deficiency anaemia), and dental enamel hypoplasia (indicative of biological stress).

Left, porotic hyperostosis affecting the cranium. Right, cribra orbitalia affecting the orbits

The spinal disorder of DISH is sometimes associated with an excess of high-cholesterol foods, due to its association with diabetes and obesity. Just fewer than 5% of the population suffered from DISH.

Photograph of D.I.S.H. affecting the central spine. Male, middle-older adult.

Dental Health

During the medieval period, dental health and dental hygiene were little understood. This is highlighted by the belief held by some within the medieval period that dental caries were actually caused by ‘tooth-worms’. The dental health within the combined assemblage was indeed poor, reflected by a high rate of cavities, plaque and abscesses.

Aching Joints

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a disease of the joints and was relatively common amongst adults beyond the age of 36. Males were more than the females. The commonest location for osteoarthritis within both the male and the female population was the acromion-clavicular joints (part of the shoulder) and may associated with the repeated elevation of arms. The second most common location of osteoarthritis was the hip joint.

Accidents and Mishaps

A total of sixty-nine skeletons were affected by fractures, some of which had fractures in multiple locations. The males were more far more frequently affected than the females and only a small number of non-adults were affected. The bones most frequently damaged by fractures within the non-adult and male population were the ribs, whilst for the female population; the lower arm was most frequently damaged.

Wear and Tear

Schmorl’s nodes are often thought to represent severe wear and tear on the spine, primarily through lifting, bending and carrying heavy loads incorrectly. Schmorl’s nodes were relatively common in the adult population, but affected the males more than the females and usually affected the mid spine. A number of severe cases of schmorl’s nodes were found associated with fractures to the spine.

Coughs and Sneezes...

One infectious disease found affecting the skeletons was tuberculosis (TB).
A number of different diseases reached epidemic proportions during the medieval period, and this is shown by a communal grave which was found in St Peter’s cemetery. The grave was dated to between AD 990 and 1145, pre-dating the first wave of the Black Death (AD 1347). All the unfortunates buried in the grave died within a short space of time and showed evidence of ill health and malnutritional deficiencies.

In the Arms of Venus...

Another infectious disease found was treponemal disease (venereal syphilis). It has been said that
‘…A night in the arms of Venus leads to a lifetime of Mercury.’ (A salve made of mercury was often seen as a cure if applied to the affected parts!).