In medieval England, “handedness” determined whether one was considered virtuous or evil. The Latin root of “left” literally meant “sinister,” and folks who favored that hand were sometimes accused of witchcraft.
Now, imaging technology can tell us how favoring one hand affected bone chemistry, according to a report in PLOS ONE. Researchers used relatively new imaging techniques to analyze the bones of centuries-old skeletons from a famous shipwreck, the Mary Rose. That ship, part of the Tudor navy during Henry VIII’s reign, was sunk by French ships July 19, 1545, during the Battle of the Solent. The crew’s skeletal remains were well preserved, allowing for extensive research into their health and appearance.
Human Remains from Medieval England
To examine the effects on aging — while also accounting for “handedness” — the researchers turned to the collarbone. Scanning both sides of 12 crew members’ clavicles whose ages ranged from 13 to 40 revealed asymmetric effects of aging. In all 12 instances, mineral content increased with age, while protein content decreased. The effects were also more pronounced on the right side.
