ULAS
University of Leicester Archaeological Services

Human remains

To read more about pathology - St. Peters Church and Cemetery: An Insight into the Health of the People of Medieval Leicester click 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 and lab based analysis has been undertaken on more than 1800 skeletons.

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.

It is our eventual aim that this database will be made accessible to future osteological researchers throughout the country.

Current ongoing skeletal analysis is taking place on: St. Peter’s Church and Cemetery, Leicester (1341 medieval skeletons) and St Michael’s Church and Cemetery, Leicester (286 medieval skeletons).

Consultancy
We can provide osteological advice and consultancy at competitive rates.

Assessment
We can provide assessment reports on small to large skeletal assemblages.

Excavation
We can provide excavation services for human remains from all periods.
ULAS takes 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.
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.

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 utilising a new fully standardised recording form created by the Project Osteologist.
The form adheres to Brickley & McKinley (2004)Guidelines to the Standards for Recording Human Remains. IFA Paper No 7. and Buikstra & Ubelaker (1994) Standards for Data Collection from Human Skeletal Remains. Arkansas Archaeological Survey Research Series No. 44.

Analysis
We can provide comprehensive analysis of human remains using state of the art equipment

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

X Rays

We have our own in-house x-ray facilities and x-ray non adult dentition as standard. Dental x-rays are used to provided 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.

Database
We have designed and implemented a fully functional skeletal database into which we input all data recorded during the analysis.
It is our eventual aim to build a fully networked database accessible to osteological researchers throughout the country.

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

St. Peters Church and Cemetery: An Insight into the Health of the People of Medieval Leicester

1341 skeletons were excavated from St. Peters church and cemetery dating from between the 12th - 16th Century. Osteological analysis of the human remains is still in its early stages but analysis has already revealed a number of interesting diseases and trauma which affected the assemblage.

OSTEOARTHRITIS (OA) is the most common joint disease in both modern and ancient populations. It is characterised by the loss of cartilage between joints and subsequent bony reaction. The prevalence of the disease increases with age and tends to affect females more than males. The most common site for OA within this assemblage so far is in the spine, followed by collar bone, shoulder and hip joints. OA of the hands and feet are also represented. Initial analysis suggests that Osteoarthritis is the most common disorder found within the St. Peters assemblage.

Osteoarthritis. Left, female, middle adult. Upper spine.
Right, middle adult. Femur (thigh)

ENTHESOPHYTES are projections of new bone at muscle attachment sites. They occur due to muscle strain or repeated use. The fact that so many skeletons within the St. Peters assemblage have this, may be indicative of a hard working population. Closer analysis of the areas where they occur will show which muscles were most used.

SCHMORL’S NODES are depressions affecting the spine and are a result of herniation of the intervertebral disc (due to carrying heavy loads) and degenerative disc disease (in older individuals). Within this assemblage, Schmorl’s Nodes are common in both males and females from young adults upwards, indicating that both engaged in similar activities that resulted in this condition.

Schmorl’s nodes. Male, young adult. Lower spine.

IRON DEFICIENCY ANAEMIA is a consequence of an iron deficient diet. Iron is found in high quantities in red meats, leguminous foods and shellfish. Many factors (including diet) can make an individual more vulnerable to developing iron deficiency anaemia. Other problems associated with ill health may be indicated by the bony signs of anaemia; Cribra Orbitalia and Porotic Hyperostosis. CRIBRA ORBITALIA affects the orbital roofs (eye sockets) forming small circular holes. POROTIC HYPEROSTOSIS  forms small holes on the sides and back of the skull. Thinning and thickening of the skull can also occur, seen through x-rays. A number of children and adolescents from this assemblage have exhibited signs of both of these conditions:-

DIET

Diet. left, infant/child (2 - 4 yrs). Orbits (eye sockets). Right, infant/child (3 – 5 yrs). Skull.

OSTEOMYELITIS is caused by an infection entering the bone. It can occur anywhere, and can be a result of direct infection by trauma/injury or soft tissue infection. Sometimes pus-filled lesions occur inside the bone, known as Cloacae.

Osteomyelitis. Female, middle adult. Pelvis.

FRACTURES A number of individuals within this assemblage suffered from various fractures.  The analysis of their pattern and location will help reconstruct the lifestyles of the individuals buried at St. Peters. Many of the fractures witnesses were well healed indicating adequate care of the individual involved whilst other fractures are badly healed and were misaligned.

Fracture. Male, middle adult. Fibula (lower leg).

Fracture. Male, middle adult. Pelvis.

Fracture. Female, middle adult. Little finger.

DIFFUSE IDIOPATHIC SKELETAL HYPEROSTOSIS (DISH) The specific cause of DISH is unknown yet it has been associated with obesity and diabetes. It effects mostly older individuals and is characterized by bone growth (leading to fusion) affecting the spine. The disc space between the vertebral bodies is preserved.

Photograph of D.I.S.H. Male, middle-older adult. Central spine.

PROBABLE CONGENITAL HIP DISLOCATION

Probable congenital dislocation. Left, normal hip joint. Right, female, young-middle adult.