Abstract
ObjectiveTo explore how medieval living conditions, occupation, and an individual's role within society impacted their risk of skeletal trauma.MaterialsThe skeletal remains of 314 individuals from medieval Cambridge that were buried in the parish cemetery of All Saints by the Castle (n = 84), the Augustinian friary (n = 75), and the cemetery of the Hospital of St John the Evangelist (n = 155) were analyzed.MethodsMacroscopic examination and plain radiographs were used to classify fracture type. The causative mechanisms and forces applied to a bone were inferred based on fracture morphology.ResultsThe skeletal trauma observed represents accidental injuries, likely sustained through occupational or everyday activities, and violence. The highest prevalence rate was observed on the individuals buried at All Saints by the Castle (44%, n = 37/84), and the lowest was seen at the Hospital of St John (27%, n = 42/155). Fractures were more prevalent in males (40%, n = 57/143) than females (26%, n = 25/95).ConclusionsSkeletal trauma was highest in All Saints parish burial ground, indicating that the poor, whether working urban or rurally, had the highest risk of injury. The pattern and types of fractures observed suggests that males experienced more severe traumatic events than females. However, females that were routinely involved in manual labor were also at increased risk of injury.SignificanceThis article enhances our understanding of how traumatic injuries differed by age, sex, and burial locations in the medieval period.Further researchAdditional comparative studies in different geographical regions are needed to determine how representative these findings are.
Highlights
In recent decades, research has explored how skeletal trauma in archaeological assemblages can be used to reconstruct injury risks related to occupation, lifestyle and environment (Agnew & Justus, 2014; Judd & Redfern, 2012; Judd & Roberts, 1998, 1999; Milner et al, 2015; Redfern, 2017a; Walker, 2012)
Fractures were most commonly found on the individuals buried in the All Saints parish cemetery (44%, n = 37/84), followed by those buried in the Augustinian friary burial ground (32%, n = 9/28) and in the burial ground of the Hospital of St John (27%, n = 42/155; Table 2)
Individuals with multiple fractures were most common at All Saints parish cemetery (19%, n = 16/84), followed by those buried at the Augustinian friary (14%, n = 4/28) and the Hospital (13%, n = 20/155)
Summary
Research has explored how skeletal trauma in archaeological assemblages can be used to reconstruct injury risks related to occupation, lifestyle and environment (Agnew & Justus, 2014; Judd & Redfern, 2012; Judd & Roberts, 1998, 1999; Milner et al, 2015; Redfern, 2017a; Walker, 2012). This, in turn, provides valuable perspectives on lived experiences as different environments and lifestyles will affect the overall prevalence rate of skeletal injuries and the locations where skeletal trauma is sustained (Agnew et al, 2015). By comparing individuals buried in various locations within a town, it becomes possible to identify the hazards of daily life that were experienced by individuals that occupied different spheres of medieval society. We investigate the lived experiences of the inhabitants of medieval Cambridge who were buried in a normal parish cemetery, which was the normative burial site for the majority of the population, a wealthy friary and a charitable institution for the poor, by comparing evidence of skeletal trauma
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