A Bioarchaeological Investigation of Health and Migration in Post-Medieval London

Persistent migration in London’s post-medieval period (~1500–1800 CE) transformed the city into a metropolis, bringing with it all of the growing pains associated with an expanding population. While typical bioarchaeological examinations of migration involve isotope and biodistance analysis, the extensive historic records associated with post-medieval London provide a unique opportunity to explore the impact of migration through other means. Using both summary and parametric statistical analyses, bioarchaeological data provided by the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) for three burial grounds were analyzed for osteologically visible health outcomes. These include mean adult stature, age at death, dental enamel hypoplasia, dental caries, rickets, tuberculosis, and syphilis. The primary hypothesis of this investigation is that majority migrant populations in post-medieval London experienced worse health outcomes when compared to majority non-migrant populations due to culturally unfavorable statuses such as low socioeconomic status and not being associated with a parish. Results were mixed in terms of statistical significance, but generated several alternative hypotheses and explanations for future research endeavors.