Vitamin D deficiency rickets in early medieval Wales : a multi-methodological case study

An early medieval cemetery dating to between the eighth and eleventh centuries AD was excavated beneath St Patrick’s Chapel at Whitesands Bay, Pembrokeshire, Wales. The cemetery population includes adult males, females and a large proportion of non-adults below 18 years of age. Osteological analysis revealed a case of vitamin D deficiency rickets in a 2–3 year old child, which was further confirmed through the histological analysis of the first permanent molar tooth. This paper presents the results of the osteological, radiographic and histological analyses, which support the diagnosis of vitamin D deficiency. The research demonstrates the valuable contribution a multi-methodological approach can make to the investigation of non-adult health in the past. The evidence collated here allows further exploration of the possible circumstances that led to this condition, and makes a valuable contribution to an otherwise small number of cases of rickets from early medieval Britain.