Project description DEENESFRITPL Innovative analysis of medieval treatments of leprosy Leprosy hospitals were established in Europe during the 11th century to prevent the risk of infection. According to medieval treatises and chronicles, the treatment of the disease relied on medicinal plants and other ingredients of mineral and animal origin. However, there is limited knowledge about the methods of diagnosis and treatment within leprosaria. The EU-funded MEDICAL project will analyse the dental calculus to explore the medical care offered to people who lived in leprosaria in Northern Europe during the medieval period (1100-1550AD). The project will analyse for the first time these medical treatments from an archaeological perspective by studying the skeletal remains recovered from historic leprosy cemeteries in England and France. Show the project objective Hide the project objective Objective Leprosy was an iconic disease in medieval Europe. From the 11th century, several leprosy hospitals were founded as a mitigative response to the risk of infection. Medieval treatises and chronicles suggest that leprosy was treated with medicinal plants and other ingredients of mineral and animal origin. However, very little is known about the methods used to diagnose and treat this disease within leprosaria, and medical treatments of leprosy have very rarely put in their physical context so far. Through the analysis of the dental calculus, the MEDICAL project aims to explore the medical care offered to people who experienced leprosy and lived in leprosaria in Northern Europe during the medieval period (1100-1550AD). To date, these medical treatments have never been analysed from an archaeological perspective and the study of skeletal remains recovered from selected historic leprosy cemeteries offers an unparalleled opportunity to investigate medical treatments further. The MEDICAL project will focus on two north European case studies: the cemeteries of St. Leonard at Peterborough (England) and Saint-Thomas d’Aizier (France). The research will be developed at the Department of Oral and Maxillo Facial Sciences at the Sapienza University in Rome (host institution) and at the Department of Archaeology of Durham University (secondment). Under the supervision of Professor Emanuela Cristiani (Rome) and Professor Charlotte Roberts (Durham), the applicant Dr Elena Fiorin will analyse human dental calculus employing optical microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy with X-ray microanalysis using Energy and Wavelength Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy, and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. This project ultimately seeks to shed new light on the history of medieval medicine developing a novel and fresh archaeological methodology for the study of infectious diseases in the ‘golden age of bacteria’. Fields of science natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologybacteriologyhumanitieshistory and archaeologyhistorymedieval historynatural sciencesphysical sciencesopticsmicroscopyelectron microscopynatural scienceschemical sciencesanalytical chemistrymass spectrometrynatural sciencesphysical sciencesopticsspectroscopy Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Main Programme H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility Topic(s) MSCA-IF-2018 - Individual Fellowships Call for proposal H2020-MSCA-IF-2018 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EF Coordinator UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI ROMA LA SAPIENZA Net EU contribution € 171 473,28 Address Piazzale aldo moro 5 00185 Roma Italy See on map Region Centro (IT) Lazio Roma Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00
