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 1. Science
 2. Archaeology
 3. Archaeologists Cleared the Way for a Nursing Home—and Found a Mass Grave of
    Plague Victims


ARCHAEOLOGISTS CLEARED THE WAY FOR A NURSING HOME—AND FOUND A MASS GRAVE OF
PLAGUE VICTIMS

What lies beneath a construction site reveals a harrowing chapter of a city’s
tragic past.

By Darren OrfPublished: Mar 15, 2024 7:30 AM EST
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 * While trying to build a retirement home in Nuremberg, Germany, archeologists
   discovered what could be the largest mass grave in Europe.
 * The pit could contain anywhere from 1,500 to 2,000 bodies, and experts
   suggest that it was likely hastily dug for plague victims who died around
   1632-1633.
 * While the discovery is a important piece of history for the region, it also
   provides an unprecedented glimpse into the periods of plagues that ravaged
   Europe for centuries.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you’re ever asked the classic question, “If you could time travel, where and
when would you go?” it’s probably best to skip 1630s Nuremberg, Germany on your
list of destinations. Archeologists exploring a dig site in the area before the
construction of a retirement home found what is possibly the world’s largest
plague pit, containing at least 1,000 skeletons—and likely many hundreds more
left to be discovered—which is believed to date to around 1632-1633.

Although precise dating hasn’t been performed yet, a note was found at the site
from 1634 detailing that a plague had killed some 15,000 inhabitants of
Nuremberg during that year. The discovery comes as a bit of a surprise, as
Nuremberg (like many medieval cities) had a dedicated plague cemetery. However,
this collection of bones was found outside of the cemetery, suggesting that the
burials needed to be conducted in a short enough timeframe to warrant eschewing
the typical Christian burial practices used in the region at the time, according
to Nuremberg Department of Heritage Conservation archaeologist Melanie Langbein
in an interview with CNN.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RELATED STORY

 * New Clues About the Bubonic Plague

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Buy the 1630s, Europe was no stranger to plagues, and evidence suggests that the
bacterium Yersinia pestis has been around on the continent since at least 3,000
BCE. In the early 1630s, Nuremberg was likely afflicted with bubonic plague,
which is only one of several forms of plague. And as the Lord Mayor Marcus König
stated at the excavation site, the devastating illness showed no favor and gave
no quarter.



“The graves contain the mortal remains of children and old people, men and
women; the plague did not stop at gender, age or social status,” König said.
“Now, for the first time, an empirically reliable analysis of a large population
group from this period can be carried out for a city with the importance of
Nuremberg.”

While some of the skeletons appear to be tinted strangely green, this is not
some ossified side effect of plague. This unexpected hue is likely due to waste
from a nearby copper mill, the German website Der Spiegel reports. The bones of
plague victims show no visible differences from non-infected remains, and
additional examination will be required to confirm the existence of the Yersinia
pestis bacteria.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RELATED STORY

 * Why Do Prairie Dogs in Colorado Have the Plague?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So, how big could this pit be? Julian Decker, whose company is excavating the
site, tells CNN that it could contain upwards of 2,000 remains, which would make
it the largest mass grave in Europe.

The ravages of plague—bubonic or otherwise—may feel like a chapter of history
that’s forever closed, but the plague is still with us. Thankfully, this once
ravenous disease is now kept in check with antibiotics and proper treatment. But
history won’t soon forget how the small bacteria Yersinia pestis left death in
its wake as it carved its path through human history.

Darren Orf

Darren lives in Portland, has a cat, and writes/edits about sci-fi and how our
world works. You can find his previous stuff at Gizmodo and Paste if you look
hard enough. 




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