24 October 2010

An Anglo-Saxon Hospital?

According to the Indy archaeologists have uncovered what may be the site of Britain's earliest hospital.

Radio carbon analysis at the former Leper Hospital at St Mary Magdalen in Winchester has provided a date range of AD 960-1030 for a series of burials, many showing evidence of leprosy, on the site.

A number of other artefacts, pits, and postholes also relate to the same time, including what appears to be a large sunken structure underneath a medieval infirmary. Previously, most historians and archaeologists thought hospitals in Britain dated from after the Norman conquest of 1066.

Once again this is interesting stuff. I only wish I had something remotely witty to say at the end of this post...

2 comments:

SnoopyTheGoon said...

What witty could be said about a hospital discovered thanks to a cemetery?

And how is it different from today?

jams o donnell said...

You could put it that way!