Detecting social change: an examination of the role of the Industrial Revolution on osteoporosis in London, United Kingdom

The period of the Industrial Revolution brought major changes in nutrition, lifestyle, and living conditions in London. These changes are conducive to the development of osteoporosis in the population. Osteoporosis is a metabolic bone disease, which is characterised by increased bone porosity, and may result in more fragile bones and fractures. The World Health Organisation has identified osteoporosis as one of the most prevalent diseases in the modern world, however archaeological sources remain mainly silent on the subject. Data from London provided by the Museum of Archaeology London (MOLA) is compared to observe whether there is a change in prevalence of osteoporosis between the Medieval and post-Medieval period. This research shows that if advanced techniques, such as radiography, are incorporated within the osteological analysis more osteoporosis cases are found within the archaeological record. Structural incorporation of modern techniques will provide new insights in past populations