Broadcaster and academic Professor Alice Roberts explores what the study of human bones can tell us about disease and violence in medieval Britain

By Dr David Musgrove

Published: Friday, 01 March 2024 at 07:46 AM


What secrets can medieval human remains unlock? With exciting new developments in the science of palaeopathology, researchers are able to glean much more from human bones than ever before. Speaking to David Musgrove, Professor Alice Roberts explores what the study of these bones can tell us about disease and violence in medieval Britain – considering how learning about historical diseases, like the Black Death and leprosy, can help us to understand and tackle modern diseases too.

Alice Roberts is the author of Crypt: Life, death and disease in the Middle Ages (Simon & Schuster, 2024)