Creaking in the Cloisters: Observations on Prevalence and Distribution of Osteoarthritis in Monks from Medieval London

This research was a small-scale pilot study for a wider-reaching project looking at obesity and medieval monasticism. The outcome of this study is certainly positive, in that it shows interesting trends in the monastic assemblages, however in some respects the study poses more questions than it answers. For example the gulf of difference between the two secular samples is in need of reconciliation. Thus in the second phase of the project, a much larger secular assemblage, namely the Black Death cemetery of Holy Trinity, East Smithfield (also part of the Royal Mint site) will be incorporated into the study, to complement the existing secular material.