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A Mysterious Cluster of Neatly Decapitated Skeletons Have Been Unearthed in England
Science Alert ^ | January 8, 2019 | Michelle Starr

Posted on 01/19/2019 3:07:07 AM PST by SunkenCiv

An archaeological dig in Suffolk, England has yielded up a Roman-era cemetery treasure: 52 beautifully preserved skeletons dating back to the 4th century.

And of those skeletons, many had been decapitated, their disembodied heads placed neatly at their sides or feet for burial, or buried without bodies altogether. Only 17 skeletons had been buried normally...

It's known that Great Whelnetham was a Roman settlement, starting around the mid- to late- first century CE, and occupied for nearly 2,000 years; but, because the ground is fine sand, it was expected that any skeletons would have long disintegrated.

So when the team started excavating skeletons, the remains of men, women and children of all ages, indicating that they had lived in the settlement, it was a surprise.

Generally speaking, the Romans buried their dead much like we do - laying on their backs, neatly arranged, often with significant items. But in every Roman cemetery, there can be found a number of what are called "deviant" burials that break from this norm.

What makes the Great Whelnetham cemetery so unusual is the number of deviant burials, Peachey told the BBC's Lesley Dolphin in an interview.

(Excerpt) Read more at sciencealert.com ...


TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: 300to399ad; ancientautopsies; britain; england; godsgravesglyphs; greatwhelnetham; romanempire; suffolk
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To: SunkenCiv
Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio, a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy...
21 posted on 01/19/2019 4:34:31 AM PST by mewzilla (Break out the mustard seeds.)
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To: Adder
Well, heck...you can see they dug the grave too short.

Excellent theory! This would add weight to the conjecture that gravediggers were unionized in ancient times.

22 posted on 01/19/2019 4:41:21 AM PST by sphinx
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To: SunkenCiv

Who knew islam was that old?


23 posted on 01/19/2019 4:50:53 AM PST by metmom ( ...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith......)
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To: mewzilla

Do you find that complete speech and riddle kind of strange like I do?


24 posted on 01/19/2019 4:50:53 AM PST by Openurmind
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To: Libloather

Not uncommon at all. In fact, in the 600’s to 800’s, many monasteries buried their dead brother’s heads together. In Eastern Europe, some walls were even made of the decapitated heads..For religious reasons.


25 posted on 01/19/2019 4:51:05 AM PST by richardtavor
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To: Openurmind
Severing of the head after death guaranteed the path to hell instead of heaven.

I've never heard of that practice. Interesting. Do you have more on it, or a link?

Readers will likely be familiar with the old-fashioned mark on tombstones of a hand with the index finger pointing upwards, as a symbol of salvation. But how about this: two burials, side by side, from the names, dates and nearly identical tombstones, presumably husband and wife; his stone, upward pointing finger; her stone, downward pointing finger. I don't remember which died first.

This is at Mt. Zion Cemetery at Gilbert's Corner, VA, along U.S. 50. We were chasing John Mosby (the church was at an important crossroads and was a notorious gathering spot for Mosby's guerrillas) and we didn't have a cemetery expert with us. Perhaps the family history and the grave story have been investigated but I'm not aware of it.

26 posted on 01/19/2019 4:53:37 AM PST by sphinx
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To: Openurmind

“venerated the head as part of the soul, removing at burial as part of their religous rites” from the article.


27 posted on 01/19/2019 4:57:14 AM PST by exnavy (american by birth and choice, I love this country!)
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To: Openurmind

I used to. Then one night I saw Olivier’s version of Hamlet, the movie he did in 1948. Olivier’s performance was an epiphany for me. :-)


28 posted on 01/19/2019 5:00:50 AM PST by mewzilla (Break out the mustard seeds.)
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To: Openurmind

Severing of the head after death guaranteed the path to hell instead of heaven. The first 1300 years were not always so compassionate.

What?


29 posted on 01/19/2019 5:12:58 AM PST by Flick Lives
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To: Libloather

Maybe with just a little help.


30 posted on 01/19/2019 5:18:04 AM PST by Delta 21
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To: sphinx

A finger pointing down on a tomb, to my understanding, is a recognition of God’s acknowledgement of the soul of the deceased. Up or down, they’re both good is what I’ve understood.


31 posted on 01/19/2019 5:20:58 AM PST by Ouchthatonehurt
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To: sphinx

Ran across it several times a couple years ago when searching for something else. I will try to find it again.


32 posted on 01/19/2019 5:38:03 AM PST by Openurmind
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To: exnavy

Yes. And by the 4th century the Romans were Christians/Catholics. Timeline is important.


33 posted on 01/19/2019 5:42:23 AM PST by Openurmind
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34 posted on 01/19/2019 5:43:25 AM PST by dsrtsage (For Leftists, World History starts every day at breakfast)
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To: CondorFlight

Possibly Christians who were executed and then buried?

I thought about that too.


35 posted on 01/19/2019 5:56:27 AM PST by rdl6989
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To: SunkenCiv

Result of some sort of skulduggery.


36 posted on 01/19/2019 6:05:18 AM PST by kanawa (Trump Loves a Great Deal)
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To: SunkenCiv

Arkancided...


37 posted on 01/19/2019 6:29:54 AM PST by Chauncey Gardiner
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To: rdl6989

I’m curious? Has anyone ever actually studied this era around the “4th century” concerning true Roman History? If anything it would be the opposite, and these were “pagans” who were executed by the Romans.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persecution_of_pagans_in_the_late_Roman_Empire


38 posted on 01/19/2019 6:33:00 AM PST by Openurmind
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To: Libloather

I’m not saying it was aliens. But it was aliens...


39 posted on 01/19/2019 7:24:38 AM PST by redhead (PRAYfor little ones in pedo pipeline:child livestock: raped, tortured, and satanically sacrificed.)
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To: Vermont Lt

That was my thought too. Vampires.


40 posted on 01/19/2019 7:33:51 AM PST by A_perfect_lady
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