An evening of medieval misery, death and disease
Alice Roberts, one of TV’s most versatile academics, has just the thing. Ahead of her visit to Guildford’s GLive, she tells us what’s in store...
You’re taking your new show, Crypt on the road. What is it about?
I’d like to say it’s an all-singing, all-dancing romp through the worst injuries and diseases of the Middle Ages, but – and for this my audiences can be thankful – there’s no singing and dancing in it. However, I can promise plenty of plague, syphilis, leprosy, gruesome murders, archery and swordfights. Crypt, my new book, is the final instalment in a trilogy that started with Ancestors and Buried. Once again I’m looking at how archaeology is being radically transformed by new science, from chemical techniques which enable us to analyse tooth composition and work out where somebody grew up, to ancient DNA – in which we’ve now entered the era of ‘archaeogenomics’.
Why is ancient DNA so exciting?
We’re now sequencing entire genomes – in other words, the entire set of genetic information contained in an organism. And that’s providing us with all sorts of revelations when it comes to human history, enabling us to trace family relationships between individuals in cemeteries and communal tombs, and to track migration in the past. But the focus in Crypt is on diseases and what this genetic investigation can tell us about them. It’s completely transforming our understanding of how diseases have affected human societies, as we’re suddenly able to make definitive diagnoses using DNA – and see how diseases have changed genetically over time. During COVID, we used similar techniques – PCR and sequencing – to test for the disease and to track the emergence of new mutations and strains of the virus, and we can do the same with ancient pathogens.
Does that have any relevance for today?
Yes, absolutely. It means we can understand the impact of disease on past populations much better – very useful information for archaeologists and historians, but it also means that we understand more about how diseases actually work.
Do you draw comparisons between disease in the Middle Ages and COVID?
Not explicitly, but it’s interesting to look at how epidemics and pandemics emerged and spread in the past – and how society responded. You might think that, 500 years on, we’d be dealing with infectious disease very differently. Actually though, until the vaccines arrived, our only protection was similar to what people had in the Middle Ages: quarantining, keeping away from people, wearing a mask.
And do you look at how diseases in the past were treated?
Yes. I’m interested not only in how we can use new science to look at old diseases, but also the experience of individuals who had them – how they were treated by society and the management options available to them. If you had leprosy, for example, there was certainly no curative treatment, but there were hospitals – more like the hospices of today – where you could be cared for.
What is the genome research you cover in the book and talk about in the show?
I focus on the exciting 1000 Ancient Genomes project at the Francis Crick Institute in London, led by Pontus Skoglund and already generating some incredible results. It’s the most ambitious ancient DNA project in Britain to date. But I mention lots of other genetic research in the book too.
Can you give us an example?
One fascinating case is the Justinianic Plague of the 6th century CE. Through DNA research, we now know that the three big pandemics of history – the 19th century Hong Kong Plague, the 14th century Black Death and the Justinianic Plague – were all caused by the same pathogen, Yersinia pestis. It’s a great example of how DNA can lead to a precise diagnosis of past diseases – and a sobering lesson on how they can lie dormant for centuries, then re-erupt as a pandemic. Grasp why that happens and it will help us combat disease today.
Do the audience need to be science boffins to follow the things you mention?
Definitely not. I like sharing science in a way that’s detailed and interesting, but accessible. That’s not about dumbing down, but about explaining technical terms and not using impenetrable jargon. I want to open up this amazing science and history – to tell these brilliant stories – without talking down to people.
What else happens in the show?
I can promise a very entertaining evening, which may sound weird when it’s all about death and disease. There’s a lot of new science, and it’s this collision of science and history that for me is so exciting. There’s also a Q&A with the audience and a book signing afterwards.
Has an audience member ever asked a question that stumped you?
Yes, of course! There have been times when I’ve genuinely never thought of a particular question and it’s really exciting to be challenged. I find that with my university teaching too. If I don’t know the answer, I have to go away and find it – or, if it doesn’t exist, that could be a whole new avenue for research. And some questions are more philosophical or ethical, inviting everyone in the audience to form an opinion.
You’re a qualified doctor, who once treated living patients. Do you think of the skeletons you work on as dead patients, as it were?
Yes I do. When looking at a skeleton, I’m not just gazing at a bunch of old bones. I’m very much looking at a person, searching for the traces of that life written into the bones. It’s a kind of biography.
You’ve packed a lot into your career: doctor, academic, writer, TV presenter, artist and now children’s author. Do you have a favourite?
I enjoy all the strands of my career, and feel very lucky to be exploring ideas I find fascinating in my writing and broadcasting, as well as sharing them with an enthusiastic audience.
The different aspects of my work might seem quite separate, but they all flow together. I started writing because of TV, and I started that because of my academic work, by writing bone reports on Channel 4’s Time Team. I enjoy the teamwork and camaraderie with documentaries, but I also love teaching and the monastic solitude of writing. All these things inform each other and are quite synergistic. It’s great to range across different disciplines; to bring together ideas from biology and history, archaeology and genetics.
Will people get to see your art in the show?
I’ve drawn chapter headings for the new book, so I’ll be sharing those images. I’ve always enjoyed art, but have been making more time to develop new techniques and use new media in recent years. I’m also an honorary academician of the Royal West of England Academy now. I offer some of my artwork as giclée prints for people to buy via my website.
What projects are you working on at the moment?
I’m writing the sequel to my children’s novel Wolf Road, and I’m working on a series for History Channel called Royal Autopsy, exploring the medical histories and causes of death of various monarchs. We’ve already autopsied Elizabeth I and Charles II, and in the new series we’ll delve into the insides of Henry IV, Mary Tudor, Queen Anne and George IV. I also have an exciting programme on the Herculaneum scrolls coming soon on Channel 5, and I’m hoping to embark on a science podcast with my good friend, the geneticist and broadcaster Adam Rutherford. So I’m keeping busy!
You’re part of the campervan community. How did that start?
It’s all down to the wonderful, late Professor Mick Aston, of Time Team fame, who had a campervan which he drove to filming locations. I bought it from him – a special Type 25 Syncro – and sprayed it a lurid green. I’m now the proud owner of a slightly younger VW T5 California. I love campervanning – heading off on adventures and not necessarily knowing where I’ll end up.
Do you use your van on tour?
Yes. On my last book tour I stayed on some fantastic campsites across the UK. I had a great time touring round Northern Ireland and found some really special places to stay in the Yorkshire Dales too. Our ancient ancestors were nomadic hunter-gatherers. Perhaps that’s why I love camping so much!
Professor Alice Roberts: Crypt is at GLive on March 4, 7.30pm; for info and tickets see alice-roberts.co.uk
