Replay: Bones

Over the past few years, the Wellcome Trust has made over 100 videos about science, medicine and their crossover with culture. In a new series, our Multimedia Producers highlight some films you may have missed.

Created to support the Skeletons exhibition at Wellcome Collection, this video from 2008 looks at the work of bioarchaeologists Jelena Bekvalac and Bill White from the Museum of London. Using examples from their collection, they demonstrate how to age and sex the remains, using key indicators from bone morphology and development. The bones also tell fascinating stories about how their owners lived and died, what they ate and what illnesses they suffered from.

Another film made for the exhibition takes a look at the history of London as revealed by examining recovered artifacts and human remains from excavations in the city. You can watch London and its bones on the Wellcome Collection website.

Very sadly, Bill White, who was so helpful in making this film, passed away in November 2010.

Martha Henson, Multimedia Producer, Wellcome Trust

Watch more of the Trust’s films on our YouTube channel.