Mass Grave With 1,000 Skeletons Found In Germany
Researchers claim to have uncovered what could potentially be Europe’s most extensive mass burial site during excavations in southern Germany.
Approximately 1,000 remains of individuals who succumbed to the plague have been uncovered in communal burial sites within Nuremberg’s urban core. Specialists estimate that these graves might encompass over 1,500 individuals in total, as stated in a press release issued on Tuesday.
The remnants were found during an archaeological examination preceding the development of new housing structures within the urban area.
According to Melanie Langbein, a representative from Nuremberg’s heritage conservation department, CNN was informed that eight mass graves, each holding several hundred corpses, were discovered.
“Those people were not interred in a regular cemetery although we have designated plague cemeteries in Nuremberg,” said Langbein.
“This means a large number of dead people who needed to be buried in a short time frame without regard to Christian burial practices,” she said.
Because of this, an epidemic such as the plague is “more than likely” the explanation for the mass graves, according to Langbein.
Nuremberg experienced outbreaks of the plague approximately every decade starting from the 14th century, which posed difficulties in accurately dating the remains.
Archaeologists employed radiocarbon dating to determine the age of a mass grave, placing it between the late 15th and early 17th centuries. Additionally, they uncovered pottery fragments and coins from the latter part of that time frame at the excavation site.
They also found a document dating back to 1634 that described a deadly plague in 1632-1633, resulting in the deaths of over 15,000 individuals. According to Langbein, the note mentions that nearly 2,000 individuals were interred close to St. Sebastian Spital, where the current archaeological dig is taking place.
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Based on this evidence, the team concluded that the older set of remains likely originates from the epidemic that occurred between 1632 and 1633.
Julian Decker, whose firm In Terra Veritas is conducting the excavation, expressed astonishment at the finding when speaking to CNN.
“There was no indication to assume that there were burials on this field,” he said, adding that when the first remains were discovered he thought they could have been from World War II bombing raids.
“I expect the number to be at 2,000 or even above, making it the biggest mass grave in Europe,” he said.
Langbein informed CNN that the epidemic of 1632-1633 was more severe than the preceding ones due to the repercussions of the Thirty Years War, a sequence of conflicts involving multiple European nations spanning from 1618 to 1648.
“Nuremberg was surrounded by different troops and the population was living in quite dire circumstances,” she said.
The researchers suggest that the graves offer a diverse cross-section of society from that era, enabling them to study the population’s traits and attributes.
“We can with statistical means explore the size and demographic of the city with the same tools that a modern census team would with a recent population,” said Decker, including the percentage of children and adults, women and men, and general health.
“Technically we could find out what percentage were left-handed,” he added.
Langbein informed CNN that the next step involves finishing the excavation, along with the tasks of cleaning and examining bone material.
She mentioned that there would also be partnerships with organizations interested in specific aspects of the discoveries, such as examining the genetic makeup of the plague and studying the presence of parasite eggs in the soil.
“We’re also planning an exhibition, but this will take some time, so fall 2025 would be the earliest we could be ready,” said Langbein.
Mass Grave With 1,000 Skeletons Found In Germany
