Skeleton at London Dungeon found to be real

[better_by_design]

I thought some folks may find this interesting - not your normal news story!

 

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THE TELEGRAPH

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/8935184/Skeleton-at-London-Dungeon-found-to-be-real.html

 

 

It is believed that the bones could have been displayed at the attraction since it opened in 1975.

 

Now the skeleton has been found to be genuine, it must be licensed by the Human Tissues Authority at a cost of 2,000 pounds a year.

 

The remains, which include a rib-cage and backbone, have been named Kate - after model Kate Moss.

 

It is thought she might date from the early days of anatomical research when bodies were regularly smuggled in from the Far East

 

And staff now suspect another skeleton hanging in a gibbet cage might also be real. She is known as Twiggy.

 

It was only when managers learned that real bones have to have a licence they asked an expert to come in and check their bones.

 

Bill Edwards, from London's Guy's Hospital's Medical Museum, took a scraping and confirmed the remains of "Kate" were once those of a person.

 

Based on the way certain bones were wired together it is thought the partial skeleton was put together in the 1950s.

 

Now the London Dungeon is to have "Twiggy" tested as well after Mr Edwards said it looked genuine.

 

He said: "I need to go back and examine that one more closely when the Dungeon team can get it down from the wall.

 

"But from what I could see it looks either human, or a combination of some human and some artificial parts."

 

Catherine Pritchard, from London Dungeon, said: "We have long suspected they might be real.

 

"We decided we'd better find out after learning from the Human Tissues Authority that we could be breaking the law if they were real, and were less than 100 years old.

 

"Both skeletons were due to move to the Dungeon's annual Satan's Grotto feature in mid-December, but will now have to be replaced by other grisly props.

 

"We have no idea where they originally came from, but suspected they might date back to the early days of anatomical research when bodies were regularly smuggled in from the Far East for dissection.

 

"I don't think this revelation will disturb anyone on the team somehow, and I think if they have to go we'll actually miss them."

[Anything]

Merlin Entertainments publicity stunt.

[SharkTums]

^That's exactly what I was thinking.

[eddytheviper]

More than likely, the toot they do/ make up to get some publicity is fantastic.

[SharkTums]

Oh yeah, nothing wrong with it, they get themselves in the news quite often will all kinds of random crazy stuff. That's what PR and marketing is all about.

[larrygator]

My first thoughts were of Elmer McCurdy, but publicity stunt is certainly possible.

[Anything]

It's a certainty, I can assure you.

[coasterfreak101]

Sounds like someone's been watching a little too much Bones...

[RoCo]

"Kate..."

 

Can you imagine a U.S. park trying to pull a stunt like this? Awesome.

[Anything]

^ You'll be seeing more of them Stateside from Merlin soon, haha.