After the plague: health and history in medieval Cambridge

This research aims to build a refined picture of health, lifestyle and activity in medieval England through direct examination of human bodies excavated from the Hospital of St John, Cambridge. Comparing samples from before and after the Black Death, the research team hope to understand the biosocial effects of the plague that decimated Europe in the mid-14th century. The project involves methods from many disciplines, including archaeology, history, osteoarchaeology and DNA analysis.