Medieval religious hermit buried in 'extremely unusual' position had syphilis

The skeletal remains of a medieval anchoress — essentially a religious hermit — buried in an unusual, crouched position at a cult site in England died with syphilis and arthritis, archaeologists discovered.
The findings raise questions about how a religious hermit could have acquired a sexually transmitted infection (STI), but may potentially explain her unusual burial position.
The skeleton was unearthed in 2007 during a dig at All Saints Cult in York. Archaeologists think that the remains possibly belong to Lady Isabel German, who lived a life of seclusion inside a single room at the cult during the 15th century, according to a study published Dec. 16 in the journal Medieval Archaeology.
Medieval religious hermit buried in 'extremely unusual' position had syphilis