Scientists may have discovered what is the largest mass burial site in Europe.
The site in Nuremberg, Germany, contains the bodies of at least 1,000 people who died from the bubonic plague, which killed up to 60 percent of the European population.
Described as a discovery “of national importance”, experts believe the bodies were buried in the first half of the 17th century following a ruthless wave of the disease.
Bubonic plague is transmitted by the bite of a flea that has been infected with a bacteria called Yersinia pestis.
Those affected died quickly and horribly after an attack of high fever, chills, vomiting, headaches, delirium and “suppurative buboes” (swellings).
Scientists may have discovered what is the largest mass burial site ever seen in Europe: in the city of Nuremberg, Germany.
The site was found during excavations in a field before the construction of a new retirement home.
Nuremberg Mayor Marcus König said the discovery “has great significance far beyond the region.”
‘The tombs contain the mortal remains of children and old people, men and women; “The plague was not limited to gender, age or social status,” she said.
“Of course, this historically and archaeologically important find must be treated sensitively and appropriately.”
Melanie Langbein of Nuremberg’s heritage conservation department said eight plague pits have been identified, each containing several hundred corpses.
“Those people were not buried in a normal cemetery, although we have designated plague cemeteries in Nuremberg,” Langbein said. cnn.
“This means a large number of dead that had to be buried in a short period of time without taking into account Christian burial practices.”
Several of the bones are physically damaged due to the bombs that fell in the area during World War II. spiegel reports.
Others are green due to waste from a neighboring copper factory being disposed of on site, just as copper jewelry turns green.
Some bodies were clothed or wrapped in cloth when buried, but generally they were packed tightly in the burial space, reflecting the high mortality rate from this deadly disease.
The site was found during excavations in a field before the construction of a new nursing home in Nuremberg.
The bodies were usually packed tightly in the burial space, reflecting the high mortality rate from this deadly disease.
Some skeletons are green due to waste from a neighboring copper factory being disposed of on site, just as copper jewelry turns green.
The burials were unearthed during excavations in a field before the construction of a new nursing home in Nuremberg.
Although 500 skeletons have been found, one expert believes there could be as many as 2,000 or even more.
“There was no indication that there were burials in this field,” said Julian Decker, whose company In Terra Veritas is carrying out the excavation.
“Personally, I hope the number is 2,000 or even more, making it the largest mass grave in Europe.”
Plague pandemics swept the world in three waves between the years 1300 and 1900, killing millions of people.
The first wave, called the Black Death in Europe, occurred between 1347 and 1351, while the second in the 16th century saw the emergence of a new strain of the disease and the last in the late 19th century spread across Asia.
Nuremberg suffered outbreaks of plague approximately every 10 years from the 14th century onwards, making it difficult to date the newly found remains.
Experts believe the bodies date back to a wave of plague that hit Nuremberg between 1632 and 1633.
Pictured is a representation of plague victims being buried during the devastating bubonic plague outbreak that devastated Europe.
Radiocarbon dating, which involves measuring the amount of carbon to provide an age estimate, was used to date a grave to between the late 15th and early 17th centuries.
However, experts discovered a note from 1634 detailing a plague outbreak at the site that killed more than 15,000 people between 1632 and 1633.
This led them to conclude that these bodies probably came from the plague epidemic of 1632-1633.
Ralf Schekira, CEO of the WBG Group, which is working on the new nursing home, said they did not expect such an important find.
“As promoters, we are aware of the importance of archeology and the obligation to carry out this type of excavations,” he stated.
‘However, we did not expect such a discovery and will now try to make the best of the situation.
“On the one hand, it means that we do everything possible to meet the construction schedule of the nursing home and, on the other hand, we will do our bit to ensure that the historic find is documented.”
The next step is to remove all the skeletons and study the bones for traces of the plague bacteria Yersinia pestis.
Genes that protected people against the disease have been passed down from generation to generation and increase the risk of Crohn’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis, according to a recent study.