OSLO, NORWAY—According to a statement released by the Public Library of Science, Elin Brødholt of the University of Oslo and her colleagues analyzed the remains of 227 medieval Norwegians to see if social status was reflected in bone health. The bones of wealthy individuals were recovered from the site of a royal church and a Dominican monastery, while the rest of the remains came from three parish cemeteries. The researchers found significant differences in patterns of bone mineral density and stature between socioeconomic groups—high-status individuals tended to be taller and have higher bone mineral density, likely due to differences in nutrition, activity level, and susceptibility to disease brought about by living conditions, the researchers concluded. Women especially appear to have been affected by these differences, they added. Read the original scholarly article about this research in PLOS ONE. To read about a 1,700-year-old sandal recovered from the ice in a Norwegian mountain pass, go to “Around the World: Norway.”
Wealth and Health in Medieval Norway
News October 21, 2022
Recommended Articles
Digs & Discoveries May/June 2022
First Falconer
Digs & Discoveries November/December 2019
Melting Season
Artifacts May/June 2024
Medieval Iron Gauntlet
Digs & Discoveries January/February 2023
Storming the Castle
-
Features September/October 2022
1,000 Fathoms Down
In the Gulf of Mexico, archaeologists believe they have identified a nineteenth-century whaling ship crewed by a diverse group of New Englanders
(Courtesy the New Bedford Whaling Museum) -
Letter from Germany September/October 2022
Berlin’s Medieval Origins
In the midst of modern construction, archaeologists search for evidence of the city’s earliest days
(Courtesy Landesdenkmalamt Berlin/Michael Malliaris) -
Artifacts September/October 2022
Nordic Bronze Age Figurine
(Courtesy Thomas Terberger) -
Digs & Discoveries September/October 2022
The Case of Tut’s Missing Collar
(Courtesy Marc Gabolde)