Experts on ancient skeletal remains are in the North-East proving their subject is not as dry as old bones this week.

Leading figures in the world of paleopathology have converged on Durham for their 15th European meeting.

Prominent personalities in the study of evolution and the history of infectious diseases are among the 130 delegates from 22 countries attending the four-day conference, hosted by Durham University's archaeology department.

Among the subjects coming under the microscope are the study of skeletal remains of 12th Century Crusaders, the dissection of Egyptian mummies and the examination of burial sites of the Incas and other former civilisations.

They hope findings from various research studies will help to tell scientists and doctors about the spread and rise of diseases, some of which were thought to have almost died out in the modern world.

One area closer to home discussed at today's first full day of the conference, staged at the Dawson Building on Durham University's science site, was the health of dwellers in different areas of York in the 12th Century.

English-based German scientist Malin Holst revealed that the inhabitants of the Fishergate House area suffered more disease and illness than better-off contemporary townsfolk, whose remains were uncovered near York Minster.

She said much of it appears to have been down to the poorer diets of the less wealthy members of the populace in the 12th Century.

The meeting is organised by The Paleopathology Association, whose vice-president is Professor Charlotte Roberts, of Durham University's archaeology department.

"They're staged every other year and I tend to go to them all, but it's a little more hectic when you're helping to organise it.

"Paleopathology is an ever changing science and the conferences help to bring people from different fields of interest up to date with some more recent findings.

"Over the last ten years the use of biomolecular (dna) analysis of bones has helped to diagnose infectious diseases which don't show up in visual examination of the skeleton, including things like malaria and the plague.

"It has a relevance today, because we think some diseases, like tuberculosis (tb), have died out and we've eliminated them with drugs, but then they start to come back for reasons which were common in the past."

A tribute will be paid to a co-founder of the association, the late Dr Aidan Cockburn, who was born in North Shields and studied at Durham University, on Friday.

His daughters are expected to attend Cockburn Memorial Symposium, to which much of tomorrow's conference programme is dedicated.