The Dead Beneath our Feet
Nicholas Orme considers how the crowded cities of medieval England dealt with the death and burial of their citizens.
Imagine a summer’s day outside a cathedral. Let us say in Exeter in Devon, but we could as well be at Salisbury, Wells, or many other great churches. Around the building is a wide green lawn, shaded by trees, where people are picnicking, talking, embracing, and sunning themselves. Do they know what is under their feet? Bones! Thousands and thousands of them: bones of Viking victims, bones of the dead of the Black Death and the Sweating Sickness, bones of mayors and aldermen, tradesmen and clergy, rich and poor, parents and children – all literally inches beneath the turf.
To continue reading this article you need to purchase a subscription, available from only £5.
Start my trial subscription now
If you have already purchased access, or are a print & archive subscriber, please ensure you are logged in.
Please email digital@historytoday.com if you have any problems.
