Medieval religious hermit buried in ‘extremely unusual’ position had syphilis

Live Science

By Jennifer Nalewicki

February 13, 2021

The skeletal remains of a medieval anchoress — essentially a religious hermit — buried in an unusual, crouched position at a church site in England died with syphilis and arthritis, archaeologists discovered.

The findings raise questions about how a religious hermit could have acquired a sexually transmitted infection (STI), but may potentially explain her unusual burial position.

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