A recent archaeological study in southern Sweden has revealed new insights into the medieval disability experience. The study by Lund University researchers has examined a skeleton belonging to a man who had a disabling knee injury, revealing both the harsh realities and the unexpected compassion that characterized medieval disability attitudes.
Published in Open Archaeology, the study centers on “individual 2399,” a man in his mid-30s who lived between 1300 and 1536 CE. His skeleton was discovered in Lund, a historic city in southern Sweden. The man had suffered a serious fracture and dislocation of his left knee as the result of some traumatic incident such as a horse kick or a dropped heavy object, presumably on the site where he used to work. This injury made it impossible for him to walk unaided for the rest of his life.
Led by Blair Nolan of Lund University, the team took a multidisciplinary approach through the use of traditional osteological analysis, digital excavation records, historical documents, and advanced 3D modeling. It was the first time this method was applied to medieval remains in the Nordic region. “Deducing social norms regarding physical impairment and disability from religious and legal texts is difficult because they present an idealized perspective,” Nolan said in a press release. “We can enrich our understanding of disability and identity through detailed osteological and archaeological analysis.”
The man’s skeleton shows obvious short- and long-term care. He would have received pain management immediately following his injury with ointments containing ingredients such as lavender oil, opium, and alcohol. He appears to have been repeatedly treated for osteomyelitis—a painful infection of the bone—meaning that his caregivers opened up the wound and drained it regularly. These medical interventions would have required access to resources, meaning that he was not impoverished.
Indeed, his burial place attests to his relatively high status in society. Individual 2399 was interred atop the foundation stones at the base of a church tower, a prestigious spot usually reserved for wealthier citizens, particularly those from the burgher class. In medieval Sweden, proximity to sacred buildings like churches in burial practices signified a person’s status and respect within society.
The study also draws on legal and religious contexts in order to provide an account of broader social attitudes towards disability at the time. Christian doctrine was ambivalent—disability might be seen as a divine punishment or test. The Church, however, had a dominant role in care, collecting alms, and running monastic hospitals. Legal codes, however, were harsh; amputation of the limbs was a punishment that created associations between crime and disability. Society’s attitudes also often assessed disabilities based on their visibility. Those injuries that could be hidden with hair or clothing were not seen as severe or stigmatizing.
Despite the cultural prejudices in society at the time, the man’s story is a reminder that compassion and sustained care for the disabled were not absent in medieval society. Surviving for a few years after he was injured, as well as his prominent burial location, suggests that he did have a respected position in his community. The evidence tends to indicate that while theological and legal texts conveyed hard or punitive attitudes towards disability, ordinary social practice may have been more accommodating and supportive, particularly to individuals of higher status.
