In Cambridge find medieval cemetery of the poor scholars and students

In Cambridge archaeologists have unearthed one of the huge knight cemeteries powers (about one and a half thousand graves). Taking into account the opinion of the researchers, there were buried first of all accidents research workers and University students. On the excavations described in the press release of the Cambridge Institute.

Skeletons found during renovations premises of the theological faculty of the terrain of the Institute of St. John the Evangelist. The existence of the cemetery was known in the 1950-ies, however its magnitude archaeologists found only in the present moment.

About 1300 graves belong to the XIII-XV centuries. Buried in the cemetery to start patients of the clinic of St. John the theologian, the premise of which is to 1511 stood in front of the cemetery. The main quantity remains were buried without coffins and even without shrouds. Jewelry and other personal belongings in addition almost not found. Besides all this, the terrain of the cemetery there was virtually no bones of the fairer sex and children. Probably there were buried the poor students and researchers (the age of most of the deceased is 25-45 years).

Cemetery crossed the gravelled paths. In addition to its location traces of the well and flower seeds - apparently, he was frequently visited the family of the deceased.

Although local legends hospital cemetery was associated with the "Black death" (bubonic plague of the fourteenth century), the remains are found almost no trace of the disease. But other traces of disease and injury on the bones indicate that the knight's hospital patients not so treated, how many were worried about them before death.

sections: Society, World News