A STUDY OF THE DECAY PROCESSES OF HUMAN SKELETAL REMAINS FROM THE PARISH CHURCH OF THE HOLY TRINITY, ROTHWELL, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE

Summary. The 13th century charnel house (or 'bone crypt') situated underneath the church of the Holy Trinity, Rothwell is one of only two surviving charnel houses in Britain and is therefore important not only in structural terms but also as a reservoir of human osteoarchaeological material. Over the last 60 years concern has been expressed about the condition of the crypt and the 'deterioration' of the bones. In this paper the authors outline their multidisciplinary approach to the study of the bone degradation and conditions within the crypt and stress the role of histology in such an approach. The implications of their findings are discussed and action for the long term preservation of the bones are recommended.