Mass Burials from St Mary Spital, London - Don Walker | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Archaeological excavations at St. Mary's Spittle Hospital in East London revealed a large number of emergency burials, possibly related to the Great Famine in the 13th century. Scientists have identified a volcanic eruption in 1257-1258 as a potential cause for the extreme weather conditions leading to crop failures and famine.

Key Insights

• 😷 St. Mary's Spittle Hospital was founded in response to growing urban populations in England during the 12th century and aimed to care for the sick, poor, homeless, elderly, and pilgrims.
• 🏥 The hospital's location outside the city walls made it attractive to travelers while avoiding densely occupied areas in London.
• 🚨 The archaeological excavations revealed a large number of emergency burials, estimated to be around 105,000 human skeletons. This exceeded the initial estimates and was a result of extensive redevelopment in the area.
• 🥺 Radiocarbon dating and historical sources suggest that the emergency burials were linked to a volcanic eruption in 1257-1258, leading to extreme weather conditions, crop failures, famine, and high mortality rates.
• 💀 The excavation also provided insights into burial practices, burial types, and the treatment of the dead during famine periods.
• ✋ Contemporary sources, such as Matthew Paris's chronicles, described the effects of the 1257-1258 eruption, including crop failure, famine, and high mortality among the poor.
• 🦸 The volcanic eruption identified as the source of the extreme weather and famine was the Somalis volcano in Indonesia, a super colossal event and one of the largest eruptions in the last millennium.

Transcript

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Questions & Answers

Q: What was the main function of St. Mary's Spittle Hospital?

St. Mary's Spittle Hospital primarily cared for the sick, poor, homeless, elderly, and pilgrims in medieval England. It focused on spiritual care rather than modern medical treatment.

Q: How many human skeletons were recovered during the archaeological excavations?

Approximately 105,000 human skeletons were recovered during the excavations at St. Mary's Spittle Hospital, which was a larger number than initially estimated.

Q: What caused the high levels of mortality at St. Mary's Spittle Hospital during the 13th century?

The emergency burials and high mortality rates were likely caused by a volcanic eruption in 1257-1258, resulting in extreme weather conditions, crop failures, famine, and diseases.

Q: Were the emergency burials at St. Mary's Spittle Hospital related to the Black Death?

While some small burial pits at St. Mary's Spittle Hospital were contemporary with the mid-14th century Black Death epidemic, the majority of the emergency burials occurred around the middle of the 13th century, before the Black Death.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Archaeological excavations at St. Mary's Spittle Hospital in East London revealed a large number of emergency burials, estimated to be around 105,000 human skeletons.

• The hospital, founded in the 12th century, primarily cared for the sick, poor, homeless, elderly, and pilgrims. It was located outside the city walls in a prime location to attract travelers entering or leaving London.

• Radiocarbon dating and historical sources suggest that the emergency burials were caused by a volcanic eruption in 1257-1258, leading to extreme weather conditions, crop failures, famine, and high mortality rates.