Merton Priory

The majority of burials were of the standard late medieval style (i.e. supine, with head to the west and feet to the east), although prone burials were reported also. Stone cist burials, single and multiple inhumations were recorded, whilst burial treatment included the use of monolithic stone coffins and lining of the grave base with grey ash and charcoal.

Grave goods included a pendant lamp, chalices, a paten and gold thread, a copper alloy buckle and a leather strap thought to be a hernia belt worn by 1 individual.

Preservation

Preservation and completeness was good, with approximately half of the individuals recovered represented by 50% of skeleton or more. No obvious difference was observed between preservation of males and females, although the female sample was much smaller. Unsexed adults showed a marked increase in number of those represented by less than 30%, suggesting lack of completeness inhibited analysis rather than preservation state.

Preservation	N=	%
Good	492	72.8
Medium	172	25.4
Poor	12	1.8

Table 1 Skeletal preservation

Figure 1 Skeletal completeness (N=676)

Demography

The age and sex profile of the cemetery population appears to fit the model for a monastic site very well. The vast majority of individuals were adults, with almost half of those recovered aged over 35 years. Of the sexed adults, over 90% were assessed as male. Subadults were present, but they represented less than 5% of all individuals, with most being adolescents. There were no subadults present below the age of 1 year.

Figure 2 Age distribution (N=676)

Age	N=	%
Perinatal	0	0.0
1-6 month	0	0.0
7-11 month	0	0.0
1-5 years	2	0.3
6-11 years	8	1.2
12-17 years	19	2.8
18-25 years	27	4.0
26-35 years	102	15.1
36-45 years	262	38.8
>46 years	84	12.4
Adult	168	24.9
Sub adult	4	0.6

Table 2 Age distribution (N=676)

Figure 3 Adult male and female distribution (N=643)

	All adults	%	Male	%	Female	%
18-25 years	27	4.2	24	4.9	2	3.8
26-35 years	102	15.9	90	18.6	7	13.2
36-45 years	262	40.7	215	44.3	32	60.4
>46 years	84	13.1	70	14.4	8	15.1
Unsexed Adults	168	26.1	86	17.7	4	7.5
Total	643		485		53

Table 3 Male and female distribution by age in the adult population

Stature

The average stature for males at Merton fits well with those recorded for medieval Londoners (Werner, 1998) and for British males in the late-medieval period (Roberts & Cox, 2003). The average height for females was however, markedly greater at Merton in both cases.

Sex	Avg_stat	SD	VAR	MIN	MAX	N
Female	164.4	2.4	5.7	161.8	166.6	3
Male	171.3	5.5	30.8	158.9	184.2	43
Unsexed	167.5	5.8	34.2	160.9	172.1	3

Table 4 Stature estimation from femoral length

Pathology

One very well-preserved, adult male exhibited extreme changes consistent with a diagnosis of diaphyseal aclasis, with possible evidence for development of a malignant chondrosarcoma. Four adults, including two males, exhibited evidence of treponemal infection.

14.3% of all individuals exhibited osteoarthritis in their joints, with females showing a higher rate than males (20.8% and 15.1% respectively).
DISH was observed in 6% of males, but was absent in females. Females exhibited a markedly higher rate of hyperostosis frontalis interna, (5.7%), more than double that observed in males.

Blunt force trauma was also more prevalent in females (3.8%) than in males (0.6%). There were three cases of surgical intervention, including a trepanation and one individual who appeared to have had a leather ‘hernia’ strap in place at the time of burial.

Merton Priory pathology table (Word 148kb)

Vertebral pathology

Over 25% of all adults exhibited vertebral osteoarthritis, with no major difference in rate between males and females. Over two thirds of all adults exhibited vertebral osteophytosis to some degree, with comparable rates between males and females (72.1 % and 62.5% respectively). Similar rates for all adults were exhibited for both intervertebral disease and Schmorl’s nodes (c.50%), with males exhibiting a markedly higher rate in the latter than females. Intervertebral fusion occurred in over 8% of adult males, while females exhibited a rate of just 2.1%.

	All adults			Male			Female
	N	n	%	N	n	%	N	n	%
Osteoarthritis	568	158	27.8	444	131	29.5	48	16	33.3
Osteophytosis	568	379	66.7	444	320	72.1	48	30	62.5
IVD	568	316	55.6	444	266	59.9	48	29	60.4
Schmorl's nodes	568	299	52.6	444	261	58.8	48	20	41.7
Fusion	568	37	6.5	444	36	8.1	48	1	2.1

Table 5 Distribution of vertebral pathology by sex in adults with one or more vertebrae present

Dental pathology

There were no major differences between males and females, although the much smaller female sample exhibited a higher rate of periapical lesions than the more numerous males.

49.9% of all adults exhibited dental caries, with almost identical rates for males and females. The subadults exhibited a rate of just over 20%. 96.4% of males and all females with teeth present exhibited evidence of calculus deposition, while subadults exhibited a similarly high rate of 75%. Dental enamel hypoplasia was comparable between males and females, as well as between adults and subadults, with a reasonably consistent rate of approximately 69 to 75%.

	Caries			Calculus			Hypoplasia			Periodontitis			Periapical lesions
	N	n	%	N	n	%	N	n	%	N	n	%	N	n	%
Male	385	192	49.9	385	371	96.4	385	267	69.4	385	308	80.0	385	108	28.1
Female	44	22	50.0	44	44	100	44	33	75.0	44	38	86.4	44	16	36.4
All adults	453	226	49.9	453	437	96.5	453	315	69.5	453	363	80.1	453	131	28.9
Sub adults	24	5	20.8	24	18	75.0	24	17	70.8	24	2	8.3	24	1	4.2

Table 6 Distribution of dental pathology by sex in adults with one or more vertebrae present

Discussion

The current sample from Merton Priory represents a monastic cemetery population incorporating both monastic and lay individuals, with evidence for an integrated community.

There is good potential for research on topics including diet, status and the history of medicine in this period.

Further work at this site is likely to reveal the full extent of the cemeteries and additional burials that have not been included in this summary.

Site location

Merton Priory, Station Road, SW19
Sitecode MPY86

Recorded by: Mikulski, R. Bekvalac J, Kausmally T and Cowal L
Text by: Mikulski, R
Last updated: 28 March 2007