The archaeological
opportunity that major infrastructure projects present, such as
road-building and rail, is the wide areas that have to be exposed and
the resulting wealth of information that is added to the record which
would never be justified on academic research objectives alone.
This is particular
true in the case of post-medieval cemeteries – in this case the
cemetery next to the Bedlam Hospital – although it is quickly
pointed out this was used as an overflow by most London Parishes and
should not be understood as “the” Hospital’s cemetery.
The interface
between London’s compact medieval boundaries and its rising
population created the need for new burial grounds even in the 16th
Century – well before the big Victorian cemeteries such as
Brookwood.
The fact that the
New Churchyard was receiving the death from across London gives a
useful cross-section of the population, although also clear that
there was some social section about who was buried in the Parish and
who sent out.
The fact that
increased burials during periods of plague could be identified but
that these remained orderly is a counter-point to some historical
accounts of chaos – there seems to have been at least a residual
level of human dignity afforded to the victims of plague.
That not only
excavation but research and publication are supported by the
developers is very welcome.
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