470 burials discovered in a medieval cemetery in southern France

 


Archaeologists have uncovered 470 burials from a cemetery in Bourg-Charente in southern France. The burials have been dated from Early Middle Ages to 13th century. The burials were found in an area of 2700 square meters near the town’s Romanesque church.

Most of the burials were simple pits, some of which held wooden coffins. Some were covered with wooden planks and topped with limestone block. Only two stone-built coffins were found. Despite the large number of burials, very little accompanying material was found which has made the exact dating difficult.

The excavated area only covers a portion of the burial area. Further excavation and laboratory analyses will be required to explore health, living conditions and cause of death for buried individuals.

This report was published by Bone & Bronze.

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