Skull

The skull of a male aged 59+ years. He was buried in the Saxon cemetery area of the outer bailey. The skull shows signs of osteitis deformans or Paget's disease, which replaces sound bone with mucj thicker but weaker bone. This is characterised by gradual enlargement of the skull and deformation of the long bones and as a consequence the bones are subject to pathological fractures, which usually heal badly. The skull shows a marked asymmetry and thickening and the interior shows a spongy appearance. Symptoms of the disease may be joint pain, hearing loss, vertigo, heart disease and fragile bones likely to break easily.