I met up with Jelena Bekvalac Curator of Human Osteology at the Museum of London, to examine and draw bones affected by trauma and multiple myeloma. She got out many examples from the teaching collection for me to draw and handle. She explained what each of the specimens demonstrated in terms of disease or type of injury, what period they were most likely from and the type of information they can provide. She explained how the types break manifest in the bones can be understood as accidental injury or possibly the result of deliberate physical violence. She also described how the type of healing evident in the bones could give clues to someone’s circumstances for instance a broken vertebrae had healed showing the person had been allowed to rest and had good nutrition; a broken arm which though it must have restricted mobility in the limb the person had obviously continued to use it as the bones were still healthy and not wasted. 

 

She described how rare it is to see evidence of cancer in the bones but multiple myeloma, a blood cancer is one of the rare types that is evident in skeletal remains, though sometimes this is not visible until the bones are x-rayed. The Museum of London has a Roman skeleton that shows evidence of living with the condition. 

 

Having the opportunity to handle, closely examine and draw the collection allowed me to see at first hand the colour and texture of the bones and to think about how trauma affects them. The visit has prompted me to examine the type of imagery I am using in my work and to think about researching other medical collections. I am going to go back to the Museum of London for a follow up drawing session in March.