Explorations in anatomy: the remains from Royal London Hospital

James Morris

doi:10.5252/az2014n1a08

Abstract

This paper considers the faunal remains from recent excavations at the Royal London Hospital. The remains date to the beginning of the 19th century and offer an insight into the life of the hospital's patients and practices of the attached medical school. Many of the animal remains consist of partially dissected skeletons, including the unique finds of Hermann's tortoise (Testudo hermanni) and Cercopithecus monkey. The hospital diet and developments in comparative anatomy are discussed by integrating the results with documentary research. They show that zooarchaeological study of later post-medieval material can significantly enhance our understanding of the exploitation of animals in this period

Highlights

In the last two decades, the study of British postmedieval remains has grown and developed in status, yet zooarchaeological studies of the period have lagged behind (Murphy 2007; Thomas 2009)
Placing the faunal remains from the Royal London Hospital excavations within their historical context has highlighted the variety of ways animals were exploited in 19th-century London
Do they give an insight into attitudes of patient care with respect to dietary practices within the hospital, but they inform on the development of anatomical studies and the medical profession

Summary

Introduction

In the last two decades, the study of British postmedieval remains has grown and developed in status, yet zooarchaeological studies of the period have lagged behind (Murphy 2007; Thomas 2009). As well as a large number of human remains, the excavations recovered a faunal assemblage, which affords unique insight into the hospital’s practices, both in terms of the patients’ diet and developments in comparative anatomy. 1 39 15 787 91 3 330 37 1 119 3 4 20 5 1 3 1 2 12 1 39 1 1 19 214 211 4 6 2 2538 number of non-native animals are present, including the remains of monkey, guinea pig and tortoise.

Results

Conclusion