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Piers Mitchell

Affiliated Lecturer in Biological Anthropology, University of Cambridge
BACKGROUND
Trained as a paleopathologist, palaeoparasitologist, physical anthropologist, medical historian, and children's orthopaedic surgeon.
President of the Paleopathology Association 2015-2017 (worldwide organisation for the study of ancient diseases).
Editorial Board Member of the International Journal of Paleopathology. International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, and PostMedieval: a Journal of Medieval Cultural Studies.
Founding Editor of the Cambridge Studies in Human Bioarchaeology and Osteoarchaeology book series, to be published by Cambridge University Press.

TEACHING
I teach a course on Human Evolution and Health. This explores how disease has shaped the way humans have evolved, and also how diseases have evolved to exploit humans. After considering the different techniques available to investigate health in past populations, we discuss the biological and genetic impact of disease upon natural selection. The cultural consequences of ill health will also be explored, including the social and religious interpretation of why people became ill, coping strategies by past civilizations to live with diseases significant in their societies, and attempts to heal the sick.

RESEARCH INTEREST
The interaction between humans and parasites throughout evolution.
Disease and health in the crusades to the medieval Middle East.

CURRENT PROJECTS
Parasites in Past Civilizations and their Impact Upon Health.
Health in the Crusades: Epidemics, Malnutrition, and the Medieval Physician.
Anatomical Dissection, Autopsy, and Pathology Museums in Britain from 1700.
The Health of King Richard III of England.

Filthy habits: medieval monks were more likely to have worms than ordinary people

Aug 21, 2022 17:29 pm UTC| Insights & Views

In the middle ages, monks, nuns, and friars had it relatively easy. They lived quiet lives within friaries and monastic complexes, reading manuscripts, praying, and tending to gardens in which they grew their own food....

Fashion for pointy shoes unleashed a wave of bunions in medieval England

Jun 14, 2021 04:36 am UTC| Life

The 14th century saw the arrival of an abundance of new styles of dress and footwear in Europe, coming in a wide range of fabrics and colours. Among these new fashion trends were poulaines rather eccentric-looking...

Economy

Asian Markets Slide as New U.S. Strikes on Iran Spark Investor Caution

Asian stock markets declined on Thursday as renewed U.S. military strikes on Iran weakened investor confidence and raised concerns over escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The latest attacks reduced hopes...

U.S. Sanctions Iran’s Strait of Hormuz Authority as Global Oil Markets Face Turmoil

The United States has imposed new sanctions on the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, the organization established by Iran to oversee transit requests through the Strait of Hormuz, according to a statement released by the U.S....

ECB’s Philip Lane Warns Middle East Conflict Could Keep Inflation Elevated

European Central Bank Chief Economist Philip Lane warned that the ongoing Middle East conflict could create long-lasting inflationary pressure, even if the war is resolved quickly. Speaking at a conference hosted by the...

Mega IPOs Like SpaceX and OpenAI Could Reshape S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 Portfolios in 2026

Large mutual funds and passive index funds are increasing cash reserves and preparing to reduce exposure to existing large-cap stocks ahead of several expected blockbuster IPOs in 2026, including SpaceX, OpenAI, and...

South Korea Central Bank Holds Interest Rates Steady Amid Inflation Concerns

The Bank of Korea (BOK) kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 2.5% on Thursday, matching market expectations as policymakers remain cautious about rising inflation risks and global economic uncertainty linked to...

Politics

DOJ Opens Criminal Investigation Into E. Jean Carroll Over Alleged Perjury

The U.S. Department of Justice has launched a criminal investigation into writer E. Jean Carroll, who accused U.S. President Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her in the mid-1990s, according to a source familiar with the...

Baltic Drone Incidents Raise NATO Security Concerns

Recent Ukrainian drone incursions into Baltic airspace have increased regional tensions and raised new concerns about NATO security near Russias borders. The incidents come as Ukraine intensifies long-range drone attacks...

U.S.-China Taiwan Conflict Could Trigger Nuclear Escalation, IISS Warns

A potential military conflict between the United States and China over Taiwan could escalate into a nuclear confrontation, according to a new report released by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). The...

Hamas Commander Mohammad Odeh Killed in Gaza as Israel Intensifies Campaign

Israels military campaign in Gaza escalated further after Hamas armed wing chief Mohammad Odeh was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City. The targeted strike came just days after the death of senior Hamas commander...

U.S. Reinstates Sanctions on U.N. Expert Francesca Albanese Amid Legal Battle

The United States has officially restored sanctions against Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur on the Palestinian territories, according to an updated notice published by the U.S. Treasury Department...

Science

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

Technology

Marvell Stock Rises After Record Q1 FY2027 Earnings Fueled by AI Demand

Marvell Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MRVL) posted stronger-than-expected first-quarter fiscal 2027 results, driven by booming demand for AI infrastructure and data center solutions. The semiconductor company reported record...

Snowflake Stock Soars 30% After Q1 Earnings Beat and Major AWS AI Partnership

Snowflake Inc. (NYSE: SNOW) delivered a strong first-quarter performance that surpassed Wall Street expectations, sending the companys stock soaring nearly 30% in after-hours trading. The cloud-based AI Data Cloud company...

Salesforce Q1 FY2027 Earnings Beat Expectations Despite Soft Q2 Revenue Outlook

Salesforce (NYSE: CRM) reported stronger-than-expected first-quarter fiscal 2027 earnings on Wednesday, driven by solid demand for its AI-powered enterprise solutions and continued growth in its cloud-based CRM business....

HP Q2 2026 Earnings Beat Expectations Despite Memory Chip Pressure

HP Inc. (NYSE: HPQ) reported stronger-than-expected fiscal second-quarter 2026 results, surpassing Wall Street estimates on both earnings and revenue. However, HP stock slipped slightly in after-hours trading as investors...

Synopsys Q2 FY2026 Earnings Beat Driven by AI and Semiconductor Demand

Synopsys (NASDAQ: SNPS) reported stronger-than-expected second-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings on Wednesday, fueled by rising demand for semiconductor design software and AI-powered engineering solutions. The electronic...