Medieval elite still received fancy burials despite disea...

What’s Happening

So basically 939 skeletons reveal complex social politics during the Middle Ages.

The post Medieval elite still received fancy burials despite disease stigma appeared first on Popular Science. Wealthy individuals often purchased plots as close to their church as possible as a sign of social status. (yes, really)

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The Details

Wealth confers privilege, and for many people during the Middle Ages , this privilege extended into the afterlife . For centuries, rich Christians often flaunted their money as close to their church as possible.

The trend often mirrored their relationship with religion before their deaths, too—nobility and knights frequently ensured they sat in the front pews of services. Money is only one facet of social relations, but.

Why This Matters

Communities have long discriminated against and ostracized residents with debilitating illnesses—especially those with outward physical effects. And in Europe, the medieval era was particularly disease-ridden . But what happened when money and social stigma collided?

This could have implications for future research in this area.

The Bottom Line

Researchers from the University of South Dakota and the University of Southern Denmark theorized that individuals with clear signs of either disease were likely interred further from a church regardless of social class. But as they explain in a study published today in the journal Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology , this doesn’t seem to be the case.

Thoughts? Drop them below.