Herm's medieval bones reveal signs of leprosy and childhood mortality

LEPROSY was just one of the details uncovered during the examination of thousands of bones found on Herm.

Over the last two years freelance osteoarchaeologist Jenny Cataroche has been studying 34 skeletons uncovered under the lawn alongside St Tugual's Chapel.

Five of the skeletons were carbon dated, producing results between 975 and 1300.

States Archaeologist Dr Phil de Jersey said that, until this dig, there had been little known about the people of this period, as the acidity of the Channel Islands' soil usually broke down bones.