Thread by @MikeStuchbery_

When you picture the medieval inhabitants of rural Britain, what do you imagine? Sickly, toothless, dirty? You might be surprised - explorations of the past have a tendency to dodge expectations. Wharram Percy sure taught us a few things - and threw in the odd scare! THREAD 1/

Wharram Percy is a deserted medieval village (DMV) located in North Yorkshire, England. Based on studying records and folk memory, it became the site of sustained digs throughout the second half of the 20th century. 2/

While there’d been various occupants on the site since the Iron Age, a planned village at the site didn't turn up until the 12th century. It comprises two rows of houses facing one another along a path, with a millpond and a parish church. 3/

Far from the hovels we might expect from a rural medieval village, the houses of Wharram Percy - many dating from the 14th century -  were (relatively) solid, clean and permanent, showing use over longs periods of time, building up stone foundations. /4

Excavation of the houses also turned up a number of goods that show the inhabitants had time to themselves and possessions - board games, musical instruments and lovely pieces of jewelry. /5

Excavations of the churchyard showed that despite usual rates of infant mortality, those who lived past their fifth birthday were generally healthy & well-nourished. Bones showed that a number were stronger than their modern counterparts, & had a lifespan into their seventies. /6

The Black Death doesn't seemed to have impacted the village as much as others. Evidence showed that many of the inhabitants survived the devastation caused by plague and the village didn't suffer the collapse that others did. 7/

The inhabitants of Wharram Percy *DID* seem to have a problem with the *walking dead*, however. A study released in 2017 found that some of the dead buried in the village were decapitated or dis-articulated. /8 theguardian.com/science/2017/a…

It’s thought that some of the dead of Wharram Percy were decapitated, their bodies cut to stop them rising from the graves. This was a common belief at the time - spirits of the dead were also thought to spread disease. /9

In the end, it wasn't disease or the walking dead that led to the collapse of Wharram Percy, but greed. Enclosure in the 16th century for sheep led to the inhabitants being evicted. Quickly, the land reclaimed the village - until the 20th century. /10

If you’re interested in visiting Wharram Percy, you can - @EnglishHeritage look after the site, and have interpretive materials explaining what’s left, including the church. /11 english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/w…

Here’s a great site that explains a lot about the history of the village -  and if you dig the idea of deserted medieval villages, please follow @landscapeian - this is his thing! /12 httpww.abandonedcommunities.co.uk/page57.html

Hope you enjoyed that - Britain is absolutely crammed with digs and sites that every day teach us something more about those that came before us. Heck, turns out they were freaked out by zombies as much as we are! /FIN

Fixed link. abandonedcommunities.co.uk/page57.html