Remaining with the monastic theme of the previous post the Guardian yesterday had a post about an English Heritage project which has looked at the meat eating at Muchelney Abbey in central Somerset after the relaxation of the ban on four footed flesh in 1336. The intestinal health of the monks appears to have suffered in consequence.
Now this may not at first sight seem an overly appealing topic but even though some archaeologists do seem to like ‘getting down and dirty’ it does offer a valuable insight into medieval hygiene and to medieval life in general. As the project author points out it is a counterpoint to the modern misconception that life in the past was simply filthy and messy. Anyone who had visited an excavated monastic site cannot but the impressed by the often spectacular main drains that allowed for cleansing of the buildings and still provide a guide to the layout of the monastery.
The article can be read at Meat-rich diet of 14th-century monks caused digestive issues, research finds
Barbara Harvey’s study of the life of the monks of Westminster in the late middle ages also pointed to the often unhealthily large quantities of meat eaten in the Misericord there by the community.
Quite apart from that I would certainly recommend a visit to Muchelney Abbey, which is not that well known as an historic site. I have only visited it once but it has considerable charm and interesting remains of the clsudtral buildings, although the church is now alas no more than foundations.
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