| dc.description.abstract | This research examines the health of those living within the lowland, east
coast region of Scotland from 500-1500 AD utilizing historical, archaeological, and
skeletal material. Although the study area was a central part of medieval Scotland, it
has not been the focus of any larger scale research into health, including any previous
statistical analyses.
This study presents the osteological analysis of skeletal remains of four
medieval populations (385 individuals) from eastern, lowland Scotland: Ballumbie
(N=197 individuals), Isle of May (N=58), St Andrews Library (N=72), and
Whitefriars (N=58). Additionally, this research provides a contextualized discussion
of the similarities and differences in health of these four lowland populations,
focusing on the broad themes of location (rural/urban) and status (high/low). The
four study populations are compared statistically through prevalence rates of disease.
A compilation of disease prevalence rates for twenty-three other medieval Scottish
populations was created to provide further contextualized comparisons of health.
The discussion of health from the perspectives of location is framed within the
context of access to health care, population density/pathogen load, diet, and sub-adult
mortality. Discussions of status focus on differences in housing and diet between the
upper and lower status individuals living in medieval society. The role of pilgrimage
is explored for the Isle of May with respect to health, illness, and the treatment of the
sick.
The analysis of four medieval populations in the lowland, east coast region of
Scotland illustrate that although they were close geographically, each population had
unique aspects to their skeletal health due to differences in their location and status. | en |
