On Saturday 30 July, the reburial of John Bostock (born c 1390), better known as John of Wheathampstead, a fifteenth century abbot of St Albans Abbey took place at St Albans Cathedral. It marked the end of a journey for the abbot which began with the discovery of his remains in 2017 during archaeological excavations prior to construction of the new cathedral Welcome Centre as part of the Alban, Britain’s First Saint Project. A window into John Bostock’s health Osteological analysis by Dr Emma Pomeroy (The University of Cambridge) demonstrated contemporary accounts of an elderly man in failing health at the time of his death. Evidence was recorded for the ossification of the cartilage of the ribcage and thyroid which, although not unusual in an individual of his age, was extensive and likely to have led to some restriction in his breathing. Also present was evidence for bruxism (tooth grinding) that may be consistent with historical allusions to the abbot being of a nervous disposition, or could potentially be related to stress, though it is not possible to know the cause for certain. He had also suffered significant tooth loss, perhaps related to a rich monastic diet. In general, however, he was in relatively good health for his age, with only minor signs of joint degeneration, and was of slightly above average stature for the time at 172cm, 5’6” tall. Facial
In The Shadow of The Castle: The Story of St James’ Dover
A major exhibition of material recovered during CAT’s 2015 to 2017 excavations in the St James’ area of Dover area of Dover took place between July and September. It comprised of cases of beautifully presented finds and environmental material. The suburb of St James, the area located between the eastern banks of the Dour valley, the high ground dominated by the castle and the sea, is known to have been continuously occupied since at least 1150 AD. The exhibition took the visitors on a journey back in time, drawing a distinction between the period covering the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries, when fine houses were first built in the area, and the earlier medieval period, when it was characterised by small wooden houses occupied by poor families working in the fishing industry. Visitors could learn more
reconstruction The high level of bone preservation also enabled facial reconstruction to be carried out by Face Lab, led by Professor Caroline Wilkinson (Liverpool John
about the town’s major role in both World Wars, and the 19th century construction of buildings such as an orphanage, a gas depot, houses and workshops.
Moores University), best known for the facial reconstruction of King Richard III. Who was John Bostock? To find out more about John Bostock’s life as an abbot go to: www.canterburytrust.co.uk/post/the- reburial-of-john-of-wheathampstead-at- st-albans-cathedral
Community dig no.2 Work resumed at Dover’s medieval Maison Dieu hospital complex at the end of July when the second of three community archaeology excavations were undertaken as part of Dover District Council’s History Diggers project.
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