Beneath the streets of London lies a hidden city of the dead: crypts, ossuaries, and vaults that have preserved the bones and stories of centuries past. In this talk, Jelena Bekvalac (Curator of Human Osteology at the Museum of London) and Rachel Ives (archaeologist and researcher) delve into the secrets of London’s crypts, drawing on their work with human remains, burial spaces and the fascinating histories entombed within.

From the excavations at St Bride’s to the mysterious stacked skulls of St Leonard’s, this illustrated talk explores what crypts can tell us, not just about death, but about the lives, health, and beliefs of Londoners through time.

Expect tales of plague and preservation, of lead-lined coffins and curious burials, and the ways in which science and storytelling come together underground.

Tickets £12.50 including a Victorian punch. Please click here to buy.

Jelena Bekvalac is the Curator of Human Osteology at the Museum of London, a role she has held since 2008 after initially joining as a research osteologist in 2003. Her work encompasses curation of extensive post-medieval and medieval skeletal collections, public outreach, research on London health and contributions to major museum exhibitions.

Dr. Rachel Ives  is Curator of Anthropology in the Earth Sciences Department at the Natural History Museum, London, overseeing the documentation and research of human remains, paleoanthropology specimens, and funerary collections, including notable work on the Christ Church Spitalfields crypt