In France, a man discovered sarcophagi and dozens of skeletons in his basement
While renovating a basement in one of the Parisian suburbs, a French man discovered dozens of medieval skeletons and 10 sarcophagi. This discovery, according to archaeologists, may help to better understand the population that lived in this region in the early Middle Ages and in the era of antiquity before that.
The existence of an early medieval cemetery in the area was known earlier. Previous excavations revealed several gypsum sarcophagi typical of the later medieval period. The new excavations, conducted by archaeologists in a man's basement on an area of 52 square meters, showed that the burials were arranged in parallel rows, a practice that probably continued for seven centuries, between the 3rd and 10th centuries AD. The Independent writes about it.
Studies have shown that the cemetery is even older than previously thought. The first burials date back to late antiquity and are more than 1500 years old. Funeral practices developed by the early Middle Ages around 500 AD, when bodies were buried in plaster sarcophagi. This practice was especially common in the Ile-de-France region, where the outer walls of tombs were sometimes decorated.
The archaeologists said they hope to analyze the skeletons in a laboratory to determine the sex, age at death, and living conditions of the deceased. They believe that further research will help to better understand the population that lived in this region in Antiquity and the Middle Ages, as well as the evolution of funeral traditions during these periods.
As a reminder, archaeologists have found a square dating back to the Ancient Roman era in Spain.
If you want to get the latest news about the war and events in Ukraine, subscribe to our Telegram channel!