Dozens of medieval burials — including some children — unearthed near lake in France
On a terrace overlooking a lake in southern France, a medieval community buried their dead. The deceased were placed in deep pits, their bodies arranged just so.
Centuries passed and the cemetery was forgotten — until now.
Archaeologists uncovered the medieval burials while preparing for a road expansion and parking lot construction in Publier, near Lake Geneva, the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research said in an April 11 news release.
The roughly 9,700-square-foot area had 42 medieval burials, archaeologists said. It’s also possible the cemetery continues under nearby buildings.
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The burials included men, women and children each placed in their own pit, the institute said. Some were buried in wooden coffins while others were wrapped in fabric.
Archaeologists said all of the medieval skeletons were arranged in a standardized way. Their bodies were all pointing the same direction with their arms crossed and legs extended.
Photos show some of the ancient burials, including the smaller skeleton of a child.
Archaeologists plan to study the skeletons in a laboratory to learn more about the deceased individuals, the institute said. The finds will also be radiocarbon dated to determine their exact age.
Another portion of the medieval cemetery was uncovered in the 1970s during a construction project, the institute said. At the time, excavations found only 11 burials.
Publier is a town on the coast of Lake Geneva and along the border with Switzerland, about 350 miles southeast from Paris.
Google Translate was used to translate the news release from the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (Inrap).
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