Leicester archaeologists to offer hands on experience at British Science Festival
Members of the public will be able to get up close and personal with human bones with University of Leicester archaeologists this weekend.
Dr Sarah Inskip, along with the School of Archaeology and Ancient History, will host Skeletal Secrets this Saturday (17 September) as part of the British Science Festival.
Skeletal Secrets will run from 11am to 4:30pm at the Clock Tower in Leicester city centre.
The free, drop-in event will offer the public insight into how archaeologists are able to determine the age and sex of human remains as well as what effects lifestyle can have on your bones.
The Skeletal Secrets event will feature both real human bones and casts of human bones which the public will be able to analyse.
The human remains will feature a host of dental problems and fractures alongside joint issues such as osteoarthritis.
The event will demonstrate the impact that intoxicants, such as tobacco can have on the skeleton and cause chronic disease.
Leicester is a famous archaeological site thanks to the discovery of Richard III’s remains in 2012.
In 2021, University of Leicester archaeologists uncovered more than one hundred burials at Leicester Cathedral which could reveal aspects of Leicester life from the past 1,000 years.
Dr Inskip is part of the Tobacco Health & History project which is looking at the impact of tobacco consumption as far back as the 16th century.
Dr Inskip said: “The analysis of the bones of past people provides us with the most direct evidence about their lives, and this is especially true of ordinary folk who are often written out of history.
“We are hoping to show people all of the different types of information we can get from our skeletons using various methods, and to make people think about how their lifestyle affects their bones!“.
More information about the event can be found on the British Science Festival website.