Crypt: Life, Death and Disease in the Middle Ages and Beyond

THE SUNDAY TIMES NO. 1 BESTSELLER
CHOSEN BY WATERSTONES AS ONE OF THEIR BEST HISTORY BOOKS OF 2024

‘Compulsive . . . A wonderful display of how modern archaeology can bring hidden histories to life’ Daily Telegraph
‘Gripping . . . I found it hard to put down’ Evening Standard
‘Fascinating’ Guardian

The history of the Middle Ages is typically the story of the rich and powerful, but archaeology represents another way of interrogating our history. By using cutting-edge science to examine human remains and burials, it is possible to gain a new understanding of the past – one that is more intimate and inclusive than ever before.

The seven stories in Crypt are not comforting tales. We meet the patients at one of the earliest hospitals in England and the victims of the St Brice’s Day Massacre. We see a society struggling to make sense of disease, disability and death, as incurable epidemics sweep through medieval Europe. We learn of a protracted battle between Church and State, and come face to face with the archers who went down with the Mary Rose.

Beautifully written and expertly researched by Professor Alice Roberts, Crypt is packed with thrilling scientific discoveries that challenge what we thought we knew about history.

‘An addictive picture of medieval Britain from a cutting edge perspective’Evening Standard