Rūn-cofa

What this skeleton told us: Evidence

A young adult man of around 25 to 35 years of age and 166 cm tall (5 feet 5 inches). Plaque was present on some of the teeth and there were unusual wear patterns on the canine teeth. There was some degeneration of the lower spine (backbone).

Interpretation of the evidence

In Anglo-Saxon Britain, it is likely that if a man survived childhood, he could expect to live a fairly long life, at least into middle-age, provided he maintained good health and was not killed in battle. This man was below average height for this period, which was either due to poor health and/or nutrition and/or he inherited genes that influenced shorter stature. The wear patterns on his canine teeth could be indicative of the use of his teeth as a tool, and the condition of his lumbar spine could be related to poor posture/other disease and could be linked to an activity he did during life. Evidence of a herniated disc means he could have had pain.