Forensic artist Hayley Fisher assesses skeleton SK639, an adult female. Picture: Scott Loude
Posted on 08/02/2014 8:52:04 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
Buried secrets of life in medieval Leith have been uncovered after the results of a five-year project to analyse bodies discovered during an archaeological dig were unveiled... the remains of almost 400 men, women and children were discovered on the Constitution Street site – previously a section of the South Leith Parish Church’s graveyard – during preparation work for the trams in 2009... bones which have been dated between the 14th and 17th centuries.
One skeleton, of a woman aged between 25 and 35 who died anywhere between 1360 and 1435, was found to be 4ft 11in, 1.5 inches shorter than the average height for a medieval woman.
She was found in a mass grave along with two other women and a child...
A boy, aged between 13 and 17, was also found and estimated to have died between 1393 and 1445.
Evidence has led the team to believe he grew up in or around Leith, while carbon and nitrogen analysis has shown that he had a predominantly meat and dairy diet...
Mr Lawson explained how 90 per cent of the medieval population died before they were 45...
The experts reckon the majority were labourers, but some people were found buried in coffins, a sign of wealth.
Mr Lawson also revealed 20 per cent of the dietary intake was fish – which was considered a food for the poor as it was cheaper than red meat...
However, Mr Arthur also believes that the remains could have been those of French people who were based in Leith after it was besieged in 1560...
“There were 300 French soldiers based here during the time of the siege and the town itself was taken over by the French army,” he added...
(Excerpt) Read more at edinburghnews.scotsman.com ...
Forensic artist Hayley Fisher assesses skeleton SK639, an adult female. Picture: Scott Loude
Thanks for posting.
People were quite tall in the medieval era. They got shorter much later and in the industrial revolution practically disappeared.
During the Obama Error, most people are very short.
Mr Lawson also revealed 20 per cent of the dietary intake was fish – which was considered a food for the poor as it was cheaper than red meat...
I read that at one time prisoners in the northeast were fed lobster for the same reason.
It’s a shame she has been defaced so much, as she could be a pretty woman.
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Eating fish on Friday and other holy days would make for a 20% fish diet.
Fridays are 1/7 of the year. 40 days of Lent. 40 days of Advent. Vigils of the major feasts such as Annunciation, Ascension, and All Saints.
A little math on the back of an envelope gives me over 1/3 of the year as meatless days.
And when the Pacific Northwest was being opened up to American settlement, salmon was so cheap it was considered food for poor people and animals. I think about that each time I shell out for it now.
The incredible shrinking people?
Yup! Most skeletons unveiled in GB from the medieval period are fairly tall with pretty good teeth - no sugar, only honey at that point. Forced off the land by the Enclosure Acts and into unhealthy factories certainly affected their bodies.
Yes you are closer. I count around 110 fast days but they would not have had meat every day nor fish every fast day so it still would come out more or less to 20%. Remember every Sunday was feast day, likely on that day they would have had meat.
So the skeletons didn’t thrive in factories?
/sarc
And I think they were not allowed to eat what they called “white meat” - eggs and cheese - on fast days. The liturgical calendar dominated their lives and often in very beautiful ways. Christmas was almost a month long in England during the 15th Century.
True. Meatless days doesn’t mean you’ll have fish, just that you won’t have meat. And days you’re allowed meat doesn’t mean you can afford it, either. Except for the really rich, practically everyone’s diet was heavy on grain and dairy in that time period.
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