Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones
Think an exhibition of medical history sounds pretty dry-as-dust? Think again.
The Wellcome Collection is currently hosting an exhibition of skeletons from London’s past. Gruesome and compelling.
There are Romans, nuns, prostitutes. Some have names, others are forever anonymous.
From excavations in Southwark we find out that though the medieval monastic rule laid great stress on fasting and abstinence, many of the skeletons found in the monastery graveyard show signs of problems connected with obesity. A little further down the road at the Cross Bones cemetery, skeletons show signs of rickets – a disease associated with poverty – as well as syphilis.
Each skeleton …read more
Comments Off