Heritage Talk: Interpreting the lives of Nelson's sailors and marines from their skeletons

Join Dr. Ceri Boston from Wessex Archaeology as she explores the lives of late 18th- early 19th century sailors and marines, as revealed from studying their skeletons.

Even by 18th-century standards, seamen were remarkable for their courage and fortitude. Their prolonged sea service involved extreme danger and hardship, with little or no contact with home, the risk of developing scurvy and contracting new and often deadly tropical diseases, constant exposure to the hazards of sailing in all weathers, and of course, to the carnage of battle.

The physical demands of this lifestyle are clearly reflected in the skeletons of around 1,000 late 18th- early 19th century sailors and marines, who were archaeologically excavated in the burial grounds of the Royal Hospitals Haslar, Plymouth and Greenwich. This talk by Dr. Ceri Boston discusses her research on these skeletons and what it reveals about the lives of these remarkable and often overlooked servicemen.

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