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Crypt: Life, Death and Disease in the Middle Ages and Beyond
The new book by Sunday Times bestselling author of Ancestors and Buried - the final instalment in Professor Alice Roberts' acclaimed trilogy. In her previous two bestsellers, Professor Alice Roberts powerfully and evocatively revived people of the past through examining their burial rites, bringing a fresh perspective on how they lived. In Crypt, Professor Roberts brings us face to face with individuals who lived and died between ten and five centuries ago. The stories in this book are not comforting tales; there’s a focus on pathology, on disease and injury, and the experience of human suffering in the past. We learn of an episode of terrible brutality, when hate speech unleashed a tide of violence against an ethnic minority; of the devastation caused by incurable epidemics sweeping through medieval Europe; of a protracted battle between Church and State for the heart of England – a battle that saw the most famous tomb in the country created and destroyed; and a tumultuous story, forged in the heat of warfare, that takes us out of the Middle Ages into the sixteenth century and the reign of Henry VIII. In the Middle Ages, there’s barely a written note for most people’s lives. The information we can extract from archaeological human remains represents is an essential tool for understanding our history. Most of these dead will remain anonymous. But, in the thrilling final chapter, Professor Roberts introduces an individual whose life and bones were marked by chronic debilitating disease – and whose name might just be found in history… Beautifully written, vividly drawn, and expertly researched, this is a brilliant and unexpected portrait of modern Britain.
352 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2024
About the author
Alice Roberts
37 books626 followersAlice May Roberts is an English anatomist, osteoarchaeologist, physical anthropologist, palaeopathologist, television presenter and author.
Roberts studied medicine and anatomy at Cardiff University, qualifying in 1997 as a physician with a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MB BCh) degree, having gained an intercalated Bachelor of Science degree in anatomy. She earned a PhD in paleopathology in 2008 from the University of Bristol.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Roberts studied medicine and anatomy at Cardiff University, qualifying in 1997 as a physician with a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MB BCh) degree, having gained an intercalated Bachelor of Science degree in anatomy. She earned a PhD in paleopathology in 2008 from the University of Bristol.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
June 5, 2024
Found this book interesting on many levels looking at diseases and the human body through the ages. The development of new techniques as well helping with archaeology and history
May 18, 2024
I wish this book had interested me as much as it has others. I found it plodding and pedestrian in its prose and presentation. The subject is fascinating but I found tv programs covering similar material to that in the book far more compelling. I am particularly thinking of one made about the 17 bodies found in a well in Norwich which turned out to be Jewish victims of the great anti-semitic pogroms in 12th century England (which is not discussed in this book, though another massacre site is) and another on the bones of the drowned sailors and soldiers from the Mary Rose (this is discussed in the book). I found the visual presentation of these stories more moving, but also effective. The new information that can be gained from the study of bones is marvellous, but for me the details are tedious.
My lack of enjoyment should not distract others from finding interest in the book but I suspect the TV programs and their information more easily absorbed and enjoyed.
My lack of enjoyment should not distract others from finding interest in the book but I suspect the TV programs and their information more easily absorbed and enjoyed.
February 28, 2024
Mixing a passion for science with history, Crypt tells the story of humans from the Middle Ages through to Henry VIII. This is the third instalment in the series and it blends written history with what the science actually tells us. Professor Alice Roberts explains the science clearly and then links it each time to why this proves or disproves what the spoken or written history has said. She touches on Osteoarchaeology and new developments in genomics that are helping to show how diseases have wiped out populations or how genocides in the Middle Ages (when records were highly politicised if they existed at all) can be proved. It is truly fascinating and if you have any interest in history it’s a must read! I enjoyed it so much that I now need to go back and read the other 2 books in the series!
September 16, 2024
In Crypt, the author took me on a journey through history, starting in Oxford, where 35 skeletal remains were found all buried together in a ditch. Were the remains of people slayed during the St Brice’s Day Massacre of 1002?
Then, we move to St Mary Magdalene’s hospital in Winchester, where leprosy was treated. There was a body which showed some horrific markers of leprosy and I found this chapter illuminating, as it made me think about the social impact of this disease on the society.
One of my favourite chapters was the one about Paget’s Disease – mainly because there is a history of the disease on my husband’s side of the family. The bones of the monks from the Norton Priory in Cheshire showed some advanced symptoms of the disease. I was glad to discover that the modern Paget’s disease doesn’t present itself so harshly – although my mother-in-law and her sister still suffered great pain with it!
The plague chapter was an eye opener. I thought that plague, or the Black Death, was only prevalent in the 14th century. Just imagine my surprise when the chapter opened up telling the story of the plague outbreak in Hong Kong in 1894! This chapter also revealed that Yersinia pestis, the bacteria that causes plague, was prevalent way before the 14th century – in fact, the plague was present in the Bronze Age.
After the plague chapters, we are taken on the journey to Mary Rose, Henry VIII’s favourite ship, which sank in 1545, and was recovered in 1982. There were bodies of young men onboard the wreckage of the ship with signs of bone pathology in their shoulders, suggesting there were archers.
Finally, there is a chapter about syphilis, where a body of a woman was found buried in an unusually crouched position behind an altar of the All Saint’s Church in Fishergate in York. Who was this woman? Why was she buried at the Church? Her bones showed advanced symptoms of syphylis…
I just loved this book. It’s a great example of how archaeology can support our understanding of the past. It’s not just old pots and pans, we can gain valuable evidence from the bones of the dead.
Like the author herself said, bones don’t lie. They are there to tells us their story, even after the person’s death.
This book is a compelling and an extremely interesting insight into what life was like in the Middle Ages and beyond.
I definitely recommend it.
Then, we move to St Mary Magdalene’s hospital in Winchester, where leprosy was treated. There was a body which showed some horrific markers of leprosy and I found this chapter illuminating, as it made me think about the social impact of this disease on the society.
One of my favourite chapters was the one about Paget’s Disease – mainly because there is a history of the disease on my husband’s side of the family. The bones of the monks from the Norton Priory in Cheshire showed some advanced symptoms of the disease. I was glad to discover that the modern Paget’s disease doesn’t present itself so harshly – although my mother-in-law and her sister still suffered great pain with it!
The plague chapter was an eye opener. I thought that plague, or the Black Death, was only prevalent in the 14th century. Just imagine my surprise when the chapter opened up telling the story of the plague outbreak in Hong Kong in 1894! This chapter also revealed that Yersinia pestis, the bacteria that causes plague, was prevalent way before the 14th century – in fact, the plague was present in the Bronze Age.
After the plague chapters, we are taken on the journey to Mary Rose, Henry VIII’s favourite ship, which sank in 1545, and was recovered in 1982. There were bodies of young men onboard the wreckage of the ship with signs of bone pathology in their shoulders, suggesting there were archers.
Finally, there is a chapter about syphilis, where a body of a woman was found buried in an unusually crouched position behind an altar of the All Saint’s Church in Fishergate in York. Who was this woman? Why was she buried at the Church? Her bones showed advanced symptoms of syphylis…
I just loved this book. It’s a great example of how archaeology can support our understanding of the past. It’s not just old pots and pans, we can gain valuable evidence from the bones of the dead.
Like the author herself said, bones don’t lie. They are there to tells us their story, even after the person’s death.
This book is a compelling and an extremely interesting insight into what life was like in the Middle Ages and beyond.
I definitely recommend it.
March 16, 2024
Another masterpiece by the prof. I think I’ll reread her trilogy; something I rarely do. 👌
May 18, 2024
I'm increasingly disappointed with Alice Roberts. Ancestor was a revelation, but there's been a steady decline of quality.
Please just come to some sort of thesis in your chapters, Alice. Each chapter is bogged down with background that everyone knows (eg. the origins of the Black Death and debated around whether or not it was bubonic plague). Just when I felt we were getting somewhere, the chapter would abruptly draw to a close.
We also spent the least time with the bones than any book yet in this 'series'. Most of the points about the skeletons Roberts focused on had been made by earlier researchers.
This book felt rushed as anything.
Please just come to some sort of thesis in your chapters, Alice. Each chapter is bogged down with background that everyone knows (eg. the origins of the Black Death and debated around whether or not it was bubonic plague). Just when I felt we were getting somewhere, the chapter would abruptly draw to a close.
We also spent the least time with the bones than any book yet in this 'series'. Most of the points about the skeletons Roberts focused on had been made by earlier researchers.
This book felt rushed as anything.
July 13, 2024
I’m always enthralled by Alice Roberts and her profound research into human history and archaeology. I thought Crypt was a great read- a really smooth blend of historical fact and scientific knowledge that doesn’t leave you bored, but rather craving more.
I particularly marvelled at the chapters on Yersinia pestis ( the bubonic “ black” death) and the cult of Saint Thomas Beckett whose skull and whereabouts is still a huge mystery. Roberts can even make a chapter about leprosy really fascinating, though a strong stomach is required.
Crypt focuses on bone fragments and disease that tore through Europe during the medieval period and beyond. After all with bones came a person’s death, and that death was caused by environmental and biological factors. It’s amazing that unearthed bones can hold such a distinct key to how people lived and died. I really love the detailed analysis on bone markings. They hold stories and meaning all these centuries later.
I particularly marvelled at the chapters on Yersinia pestis ( the bubonic “ black” death) and the cult of Saint Thomas Beckett whose skull and whereabouts is still a huge mystery. Roberts can even make a chapter about leprosy really fascinating, though a strong stomach is required.
Crypt focuses on bone fragments and disease that tore through Europe during the medieval period and beyond. After all with bones came a person’s death, and that death was caused by environmental and biological factors. It’s amazing that unearthed bones can hold such a distinct key to how people lived and died. I really love the detailed analysis on bone markings. They hold stories and meaning all these centuries later.
June 2, 2024
This books is fascinating and I learnt a lot. Very scientific though for a non-scientist/medic
April 17, 2024
Unfortunately, this wanted to be a lot and ended up being a not uninteresting but rather confused, unanchored and disjointed collection of papers. Not recommended if you are primarily interested in history and not biology.
September 3, 2024
3.5-3.75 *
This is clearly a thoroughly well researched book by someone passionate about their field of expertise. However, it often felt like I was reading an academic paper more than a well rounded book, especially when the author chose to become bogged down in the nuances of the science behind certain ailments. These sections were incredibly dry and repetitive. While I completely understand the need to validate one's conclusions by showing your working practice, that's when it verges into academia.
I wanted to something a little more accessible that focused on narrative - these moments could have easily made up part of the appendix instead, so reader's who want the nitty gritty of the science can choose to engage with it.
The historical moments chosen by Alice to demonstrate life, death & disease in the middle ages were really interesting - especially the final chapter which introduced me to the religious figure of the Anchoress. Someone who, for religious reasons, withdraws from secular society to be able to lead an intensely prayer-oriented, ascetic, or Eucharist-focused life - literally walled up like a living prophet in the walls of a Church. How this could be linked to disease in women that might have ostracised them from society. But this was dwelt on very briefly in regards to a skeleton that, in the end, didn't add much to Robert's overall conversation about whether syphilis was present in Europe before Columbus "discovered" the Americas.
This is a good book, but it left me craving more.
This is clearly a thoroughly well researched book by someone passionate about their field of expertise. However, it often felt like I was reading an academic paper more than a well rounded book, especially when the author chose to become bogged down in the nuances of the science behind certain ailments. These sections were incredibly dry and repetitive. While I completely understand the need to validate one's conclusions by showing your working practice, that's when it verges into academia.
I wanted to something a little more accessible that focused on narrative - these moments could have easily made up part of the appendix instead, so reader's who want the nitty gritty of the science can choose to engage with it.
The historical moments chosen by Alice to demonstrate life, death & disease in the middle ages were really interesting - especially the final chapter which introduced me to the religious figure of the Anchoress. Someone who, for religious reasons, withdraws from secular society to be able to lead an intensely prayer-oriented, ascetic, or Eucharist-focused life - literally walled up like a living prophet in the walls of a Church. How this could be linked to disease in women that might have ostracised them from society. But this was dwelt on very briefly in regards to a skeleton that, in the end, didn't add much to Robert's overall conversation about whether syphilis was present in Europe before Columbus "discovered" the Americas.
This is a good book, but it left me craving more.
May 27, 2024
In this third and final part of her trilogy using archaeology to tell the history of Britain, Roberts brings us to the medieval era and connections to modern times. She looks at bones found with leprosy and syphilis, mass graves for plague victims and those who met with violent ends as well as an anchorite and the men who went down with the Mary Rose. Absolutely fascinating how the advancements in science can tell us so much about our ancestors.
August 9, 2024
Fascinating and gorgeously done. One of the best medieval research I’ve read.
I’d love to sit in on a lecture by Dr. Roberts one day
I’d love to sit in on a lecture by Dr. Roberts one day
September 4, 2024
I thought I knew quite a bit of British history but I’d never heard of St Brice’s Day massacre before so that part was interesting but some of the other stories were a bit boring, especially when no bodies were involved such as the chapter on Thomas Beckett.
June 1, 2024
This is just an excellently easy and fun series to read (assuming medieval syphilis is your idea of fun, of course). Roberts has a patter down, well, pat, and her case studies are nicely chosen to illustrate how modern technology is changing our understanding of the past. These are not overly technical books; Roberts keeps the focus firmly on what it all means and how it works, but there is enough to give that warm, learned-something glow.
This volume, the last in the series of three, focuses on what we can learn about health from medieval burials. This includes a better understanding of the past, as well as a better understanding of diseases that are still with us. The Black Death is probably a highlight (yes, it is that kind of book), as Roberts takes us through how genetic sequencing of the causal parasite has illuminated our understanding of likely transmission routes for bubonic plague. Not all her mysteries are so neatly solved, but there is something very heartening about the pace with which we are learning to interrogate the past and to understand how it all connects together.
This volume, the last in the series of three, focuses on what we can learn about health from medieval burials. This includes a better understanding of the past, as well as a better understanding of diseases that are still with us. The Black Death is probably a highlight (yes, it is that kind of book), as Roberts takes us through how genetic sequencing of the causal parasite has illuminated our understanding of likely transmission routes for bubonic plague. Not all her mysteries are so neatly solved, but there is something very heartening about the pace with which we are learning to interrogate the past and to understand how it all connects together.
July 17, 2024
I have never been interested in archaeology. I have never been interested in pre-industrial history. I now consider myself thoroughly converted by this book.
I really appreciated being taken along the journey of discovery, the questions you would ask at each point, the flaws of each piece of evidence that points us to something compelling but not 100% certain.
And there was such a wonderful argument for that relationship of equals between history and archaeology - what each can provide the other, with different perspectives on the past that weave together the tapestry of our understanding
I would absolutely recommend this book to anybody, one of the best nonfictions I've read in a while
I really appreciated being taken along the journey of discovery, the questions you would ask at each point, the flaws of each piece of evidence that points us to something compelling but not 100% certain.
And there was such a wonderful argument for that relationship of equals between history and archaeology - what each can provide the other, with different perspectives on the past that weave together the tapestry of our understanding
I would absolutely recommend this book to anybody, one of the best nonfictions I've read in a while
April 26, 2024
Man I love me some facts about old timey bones. Was more history focused than I expected but hey still fun and learned a lot about some fucked up shit that went down.
Also found my new dream job aka being an Anchoress aka a professional hermit who was allowed to have a cat and that people viewed as a celebrity for not ever leaving their room? Sign me tf up
Also found my new dream job aka being an Anchoress aka a professional hermit who was allowed to have a cat and that people viewed as a celebrity for not ever leaving their room? Sign me tf up
April 24, 2024
History told through the bones of medieval archaeology sites.
September 22, 2024
Fascinating read, very informative. Finishing this book had me feeling surprisingly emotional
March 4, 2024
The latest book by acclaimed archaeologist Alice Roberts, Crypt, is another thrilling wander through history as revealed by modern research, some of it completed only months ago!
I particularly relished the section on the Plague, the Black Death, amazed at the revelations of the long history of Yersinia Pestis and its association with humans since the Bronze Age, a thrilling “whodunnit” of a story
I particularly relished the section on the Plague, the Black Death, amazed at the revelations of the long history of Yersinia Pestis and its association with humans since the Bronze Age, a thrilling “whodunnit” of a story
August 19, 2024
Leprosy, Syphilis & Plague Oh My!
Read
April 24, 2024thought i’d just finish the last 30 pages to get it logged. not my thing
April 24, 2024
Excellent, I really enjoyed the blend of history and sciences.
April 10, 2024
She just doesn't miss
April 20, 2024
I did find this a bit hard going compared to the previous books in the trilogy . I think my archaeological interest is more where there is limited written history ... the science is however mind blowing The final sentence that all bones have stories to tell and that we should all listen made me think a little that the same is true of living people
July 8, 2024
Absolutely loved it! So informative i didn't want it to end
August 13, 2024
I love Alice Roberts I really do!
However between the poorly planned picture dump right around page 166 and the going off on tangents I just couldn’t get behind this book as much as I hoped to.
The picture dump was so bad there were no figures to refer to, the images were not accessible to their chapters and there were pictures in there from far into the future of the book…
To be honest half of the content from this book is tangent based and could be cut as it is mainly irrelevant from the main points. I understand giving context but that general and deep of context was not only not needed but also makes the reader forget the purpose of the chapter.
The inaccessible language/ descriptions used in a book aimed for non archaeologist is insane! How are people with little archaeological understanding who want to know more supposed to understand what you are talking about!!!!
Also Alice Roberts did not come up with linking medical conditions causing seizures/ hallucinations to religious notoriety. This is a commonly theorised subject and it was not appreciate her implying she may have, it just looked like a noticeable lapse in research.
However some of the points that were made were interesting archaeologically. I saw her speak on the book at hay festival which really engaged me beyond belief which was why I was kinda shocked and dissatisfied while reading this book. I cannot stress how much more I wanted to love this book.
However between the poorly planned picture dump right around page 166 and the going off on tangents I just couldn’t get behind this book as much as I hoped to.
The picture dump was so bad there were no figures to refer to, the images were not accessible to their chapters and there were pictures in there from far into the future of the book…
To be honest half of the content from this book is tangent based and could be cut as it is mainly irrelevant from the main points. I understand giving context but that general and deep of context was not only not needed but also makes the reader forget the purpose of the chapter.
The inaccessible language/ descriptions used in a book aimed for non archaeologist is insane! How are people with little archaeological understanding who want to know more supposed to understand what you are talking about!!!!
Also Alice Roberts did not come up with linking medical conditions causing seizures/ hallucinations to religious notoriety. This is a commonly theorised subject and it was not appreciate her implying she may have, it just looked like a noticeable lapse in research.
However some of the points that were made were interesting archaeologically. I saw her speak on the book at hay festival which really engaged me beyond belief which was why I was kinda shocked and dissatisfied while reading this book. I cannot stress how much more I wanted to love this book.
May 15, 2024
Bits of this were strong but overall the whole thing felt confused. Did Prof Roberts want to write a book dedicated to pathology through archaeology, or about aspects of life in the medieval period? What we got at the end of it seemed to be trying to straddle the line of both, without really committing to a theme either way, and it left me struggling with the point of this book beyond ‘here are some fun bones I looked at while filming Digging for Britain written up into a deep-dive’. And don’t get me wrong - the bones really were fun. But it felt like the two preceding books she’s written on burials through time were leading us towards something, whereas this was much more scattershot.
June 26, 2024
An absolutely fantastic and enthralling book that approaches history from a perspective that was completely new to me, but very informative. The author, professor Alice Roberts, is a palaeopathologist, which means she studies the history of diseases and disorders, and how they affected historical societies.
The book presents a few important archeological digs and uses those as launching points for bigger discussions on medieval English society. For each one of those professor Roberts presents the premise -- for instance a medieval leper hospital -- and then gives the wider historical context in which they existed. What is the history of leprosy? Where did it come from? When was it most active? How has history traditionally believe that lepers were viewed from a societal and religious (which were very intertwined contexts in medieval society) context? Then she presents the dig, goes over what they found, and then discusses how those findings changed our views on established history and what we can learn from them.
It's absolutely fascinating, and it's so cool to me how much these fields of science have progressed in a relatively short amount of time. Extremely intelligent people are applying knowledge from a wide variety of academic disciplines to learn so much from the location of the graves, their condition, the condition of the human remains (and grave goods) found within and so on and so on. Professor Roberts also does a great job of presenting these difficult, multi-disciplinary concepts in an understandable and even entertaining fashion. Not only will you learn a lot about medieval society, you'll also learn a ton of other cool stuff about how the human body works, how archeologists can determine gender from even small bone samples and so much more!
The Audible audiobook I listened to is read by professor Roberts herself, which is an added bonus. Not only is she pleasant to listen to and a good speaker, as the author she fully understands the text and its natural flow, and as a result the listening experience is very enjoyable. It's obvious she has genuine affection for the human subjects at the center of all these digs, and the warmth and care shines through constantly.
An incredible book and one that I would recommend to anyone interested in history, science or just learning new things.
The book presents a few important archeological digs and uses those as launching points for bigger discussions on medieval English society. For each one of those professor Roberts presents the premise -- for instance a medieval leper hospital -- and then gives the wider historical context in which they existed. What is the history of leprosy? Where did it come from? When was it most active? How has history traditionally believe that lepers were viewed from a societal and religious (which were very intertwined contexts in medieval society) context? Then she presents the dig, goes over what they found, and then discusses how those findings changed our views on established history and what we can learn from them.
It's absolutely fascinating, and it's so cool to me how much these fields of science have progressed in a relatively short amount of time. Extremely intelligent people are applying knowledge from a wide variety of academic disciplines to learn so much from the location of the graves, their condition, the condition of the human remains (and grave goods) found within and so on and so on. Professor Roberts also does a great job of presenting these difficult, multi-disciplinary concepts in an understandable and even entertaining fashion. Not only will you learn a lot about medieval society, you'll also learn a ton of other cool stuff about how the human body works, how archeologists can determine gender from even small bone samples and so much more!
The Audible audiobook I listened to is read by professor Roberts herself, which is an added bonus. Not only is she pleasant to listen to and a good speaker, as the author she fully understands the text and its natural flow, and as a result the listening experience is very enjoyable. It's obvious she has genuine affection for the human subjects at the center of all these digs, and the warmth and care shines through constantly.
An incredible book and one that I would recommend to anyone interested in history, science or just learning new things.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews