Now in our 13th year of bringing you beautiful imagery from biomedical science every day

Search the archive of over 4000 images

Ancient Illness
30 March 2017

Ancient Illness

Laid to rest nearly a thousand years ago, this young man’s skeleton contains some fascinating genetic secrets. They’re the bones of a medieval pilgrim, buried in a hospital cemetery in Winchester, UK, some time in the 12th century. What’s special is the fact that this was a leprosarium – a graveyard for the victims of leprosy (also now known as Hansen’s disease). Although the disease has affected people around the world for thousands of years, little is known about how it has changed over time. By comparing DNA from leprosy-causing Mycobacterium leprae bacteria in the remains with today’s bugs, researchers have found that the bacterial genes have changed little since the time the man was buried. However, the bacteria that caused his leprosy are slightly different from those in other bodies buried nearby, sharing more similarity with strains from Asia. Maybe he picked up more than spiritual enlightenment on his pilgrimage.

Written by Kat Arney

Search The Archive

Submit An Image

Follow on Tumblr

Follow on Instagram

What is BPoD?

BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

Read More

BPoD is also available in Catalan at www.bpod.cat with translations by the University of Valencia.