Human dissection and comparative anatomy: Archaeological evidence for nineteenth-century anatomical practice at University College London.

Abstract

The history of anatomical dissection in nineteenth-century Britain has largely been reconstructed from archival sources, including legislation, institutional records and medical writings. Archaeological evidence for the material practices of anatomy schools, however, remains comparatively limited. In 2010, redevelopment within the main quadrangle of University College London (UCL) revealed a substantial assemblage of human and animal skeletal remains associated with the institution's early anatomy school. Excavation recovered more than 8700 human skeletal fragments and over 800 animal bones, together with artefacts dating to the late nineteenth century. Osteological analysis indicates a minimum of 38 individuals, predominantly adults aged 30-50 years, with an overall male:female ratio of approximately 2:1. Only a small proportion of bones exhibited cut marks consistent with dissection, suggesting that the assemblage partly represents the discard of a curated teaching collection rather than solely the residue of routine student dissection. The associated animal remains, dominated by domesticated taxa including cattle, sheep/goat and horse, indicate that comparative anatomy formed an integral component of the same pedagogical environment. Considered in the context of the Anatomy Act of 1832 and the expansion of metropolitan medical education, the assemblage provides rare material evidence for the procurement, pedagogical use, preparation, curation and eventual disposal of both human and animal anatomical material at one of Britain's earliest secular medical schools. The quadrangle assemblage therefore offers a rare opportunity to reflect on the everyday practice of anatomy and the complex relationship between medical education, comparative anatomy, society and the bodies of the nineteenth-century poor in London.