The discovery of a severely injured skeleton in a medieval cemetery in Lund, southern Sweden, is offering new insights into how individuals with disabilities were treated and perceived in the late Middle Ages. The study, published in Open Archaeology, combines osteological analysis, 3D modelling, and historical research to reconstruct the life and social experience of a man who lived with a disabling leg injury more than 500 years ago.
The research, led by Blair Nolan of Lund University, marks the first time this multidisciplinary approach has been applied to medieval remains in the Nordic region. The skeleton—designated as individual 2399—belonged to a man who lived between 1300 and 1536 CE and died around the age of 30. At some point in his twenties, he suffered a violent trauma that dislocated and fractured his left knee, leaving him unable to walk unaided.
The injury was severe, likely caused by a powerful blow such as a kick from a horse or a heavy object falling on him. From that point on, the man would have required the use of mobility aids like crutches or a leg stand.
Analysis of the skeleton revealed clear signs of prolonged medical intervention and care. Researchers believe he received pain relief typical of the time, possibly including ointments containing lavender oil, opium, or alcohol. There would have also been regular treatment for chronic bone infections such as osteomyelitis, which would have involved opening the wound to drain pus. The fact that he survived for several years after such an injury suggests a sustained level of care that was not universally available.
This individual’s burial further reinforces the picture of a man with relatively high social status. He was interred in a privileged location, directly atop the foundation stones at the base of a church tower, suggesting he may have been part of the burgher class or a similarly well-off group. In medieval Sweden, proximity to the church was a sought-after burial location, often reflecting one’s wealth or standing in the community.
The study also examined religious and legal views on disability during this period. Christian teachings were ambivalent—disability could be interpreted as divine punishment, a test of faith, or even as a form of penance. However, the Church was also instrumental in providing care, often through alms and monastic hospitals. Legal codes of the time also influenced perceptions of disability; disfigurement was sometimes a judicial punishment, which linked visible impairments with criminality.
Visibility played a significant role in how impairments were socially judged. Injuries that could be hidden beneath clothing or hair were often viewed as less severe, while more obvious disabilities were more stigmatized.
“Deducing social norms regarding physical impairment and disability from religious and legal texts is difficult because it presents an idealized perspective,” said Nolan. “We can enrich our understanding of disability and identity through detailed osteological and archaeological analysis.”
The findings suggest that while medieval attitudes toward disability could be harsh or exclusionary, lived experience was far more nuanced. In the case of individual 2399, community care, medical treatment, and burial practices all point to a man who, despite a debilitating injury, maintained a respected place within his society.
The article, “Disability and Care in Late Medieval Lund, Sweden: An Analysis of Trauma and Intersecting Identities, Aided by Photogrammetric Digitization and Visualization,” by Blair Nolan, Sandra Tornberg Fritz, Paola Derudas, Domenica Dininno and Anna Tornberg, appears in Open Archaeology. Click here to read it.
Check out our interdisciplinary research article published in #OpenArchaeology on disability, care, and identity during the Medieval period.
doi.org/10.1515/opar-2025-0043
Be sure to click through to the 3D models and digitized site documentation.
@degruyterbrill.bsky.social #openaccess
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— Blair Nolan (@blairnolan.bsky.social) April 11, 2025 at 5:04 AM
Top Image: The femoral fracture in grave 2399 with the tibia repositioned to show the 45-degrees angulation. Photo: Nelly Hercberg, Cultural Museum in Lund.
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