Bonjour from Paris! My assigned topic for the trip was the Catacombs! After an amazing time going up the Eiffel tower that morning, we had the option to go see the catacombs. The majority of us went because it sounded really interesting. Professor Brouwer said “it’s the most unusual tourist spot,” and it really is.
We successfully navigated our way there, and then went down into the catacombs. We had to walk down many stairs and through low (for me haha) underground tunnels to get to where the remains were. I have to say seeing the remains of over two million bodies arranged artistically was a pretty strange experience. The bones were stacked on all sides of the pathways and formed some sculpture-ish things other areas.
As the only nursing student on this trip, I did find some extra things interesting about the catacombs. I thought it was cool seeing real different parts of bones and parts of the skull, and I enjoyed sharing with others what different bones were as well. Also, as I was reading information signs, I learned that the catacombs gave researchers a ton of information about the general health of the population in Paris from the Merovingian era all the way to the end of the 19th century. Infections and diseases that were found common to the area were arthritis, enthesopathy, leprosy, and syphillis. Dental analyses show abscesses, cavities, and more that were indicators of malnutrition and various deficiencies for many people. Lesions in the bones suggest overuse in manual labor, and fractures and dislocations reveal difficult living and working situations.
It was really interesting discovering more about the historical ways of life and health in Paris through these remains!
Sarah