Medieval History
Two recent archaeological stories are getting some media attention. First, in southern Poland a graveyard was discovered that contained four skeletons that had their heads buried between their legs. Radio Poland explains that "according to folk beliefs, this prevented a possible vampire from finding his or her way back to the land of the living. There was no trace at the burial ground of any earthly possessions, such as jewellery, belts or buckles."
The graves were discovered during the construction of a roadway near the Polish town of Gliwice. Tests will be carried out to determine when the skeletons were buried, but the archaeologists believe they date back to the early modern period. You can read the full article from Radio Poland.
Other discoveries of 'vampires' buried in graveyards include a woman found in Venice whose skull had been impaled through the mouth with a brick, over 100 skeletons found in Bulgaria that have had an iron rod piercing their chest, and in Ireland they have wedged large stones into the of mouths of skeletons to prevent them from rising from the dead.
Meanwhile, archaeologists working in Somerset, England, were surprised to discover a large site of medieval buildings. No records of this site exist, but the archaeologists believe it might have been connected with nearby Glastonbury Abbey. Roof slates, glazed ceramic roof tiles and decorated floor tiles suggest that these were substantial buildings of high status.
Bob Davis, Senior Buildings Archaeologist for Wessex Archaeology explains, ?This is a significant find and therefore very exciting, particularly as there are no documentary records that such a site ever existed here. Preliminary dating of pottery sherds found at Longforth Farm suggest that the buildings were occupied between the 12th and 14th centuries. At some stage however, the buildings were abandoned, the useable building materials were robbed out and recycled and the site was forgotten.?
You can read more from Wessex Archaeology.
- The Vampire Skeletons Of Bulgaria: Human Remains From Middle Ages Found With Iron Rods Staked Through Their Chests
The discovery was made near the Saint Nicholas Wonderworker monastery in Sozopol. Photo by dariknews.bg If you thought vampires were simply the stuff of myth and legend - and perhaps the odd teen horror film - think again. Archaeologists in Bulgaria...
- Radar Search For Medieval Remains
A radar system that can detect the underground remains of old buildings has been used to investigate a site near Towcester where a Norman ringwork castle once stood. The investigation at The Mount, in Alderton, followed archeological digs carried out...
- Remains Of Anglo-saxon Saint Discovered?
Archaeologists working in the Oxfordshire town of Bicester believe they have discovered a reliquary containing some of the bones of Saint Edburg, a seventh-century saint. John Moore Heritage Services is conducting the excavations of a site of former apartment...
- Archaeologists Discover Burial Site In Poland
Medieval archaeologists from the Pozna? branch of the Polish Academy of Sciences Archaeology and Ethnology Institutes (IAE PAN) archaeology rescue team and the National Artifact Research and Documentation Center (KOBiDZ) have discovered in Bodzia in central...
- Brain Surgery Was Performed In Ninth-century Ireland
Remarkable new details were revealed this week from the discovery of a medieval grave in County Donegal in Ireland. One of the most notable is that archaeologists have come across the remains of a young woman buried around the year 800 AD who underwent...
Medieval History
'Vampires' in Poland, 'Medieval Mystery' site in England - what archaeologists are finding
The graves were discovered during the construction of a roadway near the Polish town of Gliwice. Tests will be carried out to determine when the skeletons were buried, but the archaeologists believe they date back to the early modern period. You can read the full article from Radio Poland.
Other discoveries of 'vampires' buried in graveyards include a woman found in Venice whose skull had been impaled through the mouth with a brick, over 100 skeletons found in Bulgaria that have had an iron rod piercing their chest, and in Ireland they have wedged large stones into the of mouths of skeletons to prevent them from rising from the dead.
Meanwhile, archaeologists working in Somerset, England, were surprised to discover a large site of medieval buildings. No records of this site exist, but the archaeologists believe it might have been connected with nearby Glastonbury Abbey. Roof slates, glazed ceramic roof tiles and decorated floor tiles suggest that these were substantial buildings of high status.
Bob Davis, Senior Buildings Archaeologist for Wessex Archaeology explains, ?This is a significant find and therefore very exciting, particularly as there are no documentary records that such a site ever existed here. Preliminary dating of pottery sherds found at Longforth Farm suggest that the buildings were occupied between the 12th and 14th centuries. At some stage however, the buildings were abandoned, the useable building materials were robbed out and recycled and the site was forgotten.?
You can read more from Wessex Archaeology.
- The Vampire Skeletons Of Bulgaria: Human Remains From Middle Ages Found With Iron Rods Staked Through Their Chests
The discovery was made near the Saint Nicholas Wonderworker monastery in Sozopol. Photo by dariknews.bg If you thought vampires were simply the stuff of myth and legend - and perhaps the odd teen horror film - think again. Archaeologists in Bulgaria...
- Radar Search For Medieval Remains
A radar system that can detect the underground remains of old buildings has been used to investigate a site near Towcester where a Norman ringwork castle once stood. The investigation at The Mount, in Alderton, followed archeological digs carried out...
- Remains Of Anglo-saxon Saint Discovered?
Archaeologists working in the Oxfordshire town of Bicester believe they have discovered a reliquary containing some of the bones of Saint Edburg, a seventh-century saint. John Moore Heritage Services is conducting the excavations of a site of former apartment...
- Archaeologists Discover Burial Site In Poland
Medieval archaeologists from the Pozna? branch of the Polish Academy of Sciences Archaeology and Ethnology Institutes (IAE PAN) archaeology rescue team and the National Artifact Research and Documentation Center (KOBiDZ) have discovered in Bodzia in central...
- Brain Surgery Was Performed In Ninth-century Ireland
Remarkable new details were revealed this week from the discovery of a medieval grave in County Donegal in Ireland. One of the most notable is that archaeologists have come across the remains of a young woman buried around the year 800 AD who underwent...