Posted on 12/03/2013 7:02:34 PM PST by SunkenCiv
Archaeologists have found a mass grave close to one of Britain's favourite cathedrals.
Bones from 18 bodies have been discovered by Durham University experts during building work at the Palace Green Library, part of the World Heritage Site in the historic city centre.
At first it was thought the bodies were buried in Durham Cathedral's medieval cemetery which was bigger than the current burial plot.
But further examination revealed an unorthodox and intriguing layout to the bodies which archaeologists say is proof of a mass burial.
Richard Annis, senior archaeologist, Archaeological Services Durham University, said: "We have found clear evidence of a mass burial and not a normal group of graves.
"The bodies have been tipped into the earth without elaborate ceremony and they are tightly packed together and jumbled.
"Some are buried in a North to South alignment, rather than the traditional East to West alignment that we would expect from a conventional medieval burial site."
Further research will be carried out on the remains, which will be tested to show their age. This will happen in the New Year.
Mr Annis added that no definitive interpretation could be offered at this stage in the investigation, saying: "The process of post-excavation processing, examination and analysis is essential to allow us to draw proper conclusions about this group of human remains.
"It is too early to say what they may be."
Once the bones have been examined - with permission from the Ministry of Justice - they must be reinterred at an approved burial ground.
(Excerpt) Read more at belfasttelegraph.co.uk ...
Medieval mass grave hints at gruesome secret [Jan 25, 2012]
One of these days, they are goign to open a tomb or grave and soem nasty unknown pathogen is going to be released, something perhaps akin to the sweating sickness.
Plague pit.
I have the same concern.
Here I New Mexico, there are several well preserved towns dating from the pre-Columbian period or thereabouts (1400 to 1550 AD).
All the Indians just died for unknown reasons. Unburied bodies found in hidey holes.
Best guess from locals is some sort of hantavirus.
Apparently this killed 95% of the North American population before Europeans even showed up.
We get occasional outbreaks out this way. The CDC comes and burns down the house.
” The CDC comes and burns down the house.”
Prevents zombies.
/ kidding.
Can you elaborate? I thought the great die-off was the product of the disease wave unleashed after European contact. Disease travelled much faster than exploration and settlement, so Indians across North America were dying en masse long before whites showed up in their vicinity. Absent the germ theory of disease, no one at the time connected the dots but the European origin of the epidemic is clear to us today.
But I've never heard of a 95% die-out prior to first contact.
No doubt, the Black Death.
Plague? Mass graves were common during the plague of the mid 1600s just before the Great Fire.
1491 - Charles C. Mann
The apparent hantavirus dieoff occurred a bit later than the first years and equally devastating though limited probably to Mexico and is theorized but quite possible.
“Prevents zombies.”
Given that hantavirus results in brain swelling and symptoms that mimic rabies, you’re actually not that far off.
I sometimes wonder if the American obsession with zombies isn’t related to some sort of racial/historical memory of the plague.
“The apparent hantavirus dieoff occurred a bit later than the first years and equally devastating though limited probably to Mexico and is theorized but quite possible.”
Tell that to Squanto (the Indian with the Pilgrims) whose entire tribe died off years before the Pilgrims showed up -— pretty far from Mexico.
There are Conquestador reports of entire towns with dead people in them -— just lying about, unburied.
Here, first google hit:
“No. Not prior to first contact. The first explorers and conquistadores ALL reported large populations and village after village.”
That’s actually not quite true. Early first contact explorers ALSO saw towns full of freshly dead people (see link in prior post).
It’s almost like Europeans showed up in the cusp of the plague. Sure, smallpox may have pushed things over, but SOMETHING was up.
Bring Out Your Dead
Post to me or FReep mail to be on/off the Bring Out Your Dead ping list.
The purpose of the “Bring Out Your Dead” ping list (formerly the “Ebola” ping list) is very early warning of emerging pandemics, as such it has a high false positive rate.
So far the false positive rate is 100%.
At some point we may well have a high mortality pandemic, and likely as not the “Bring Out Your Dead” threads will miss the beginning entirely.
*sigh* Such is life, and death...
Probably.
Legends about vampires may have started due to a rabies outbreak.
-PJ
So is Montana, but they had an outbreak of it over in Poplar a few years back (one dead, even with modern medicine).
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