Archaeologists Found a Truly Bizarre Burial in an Isolated Medieval Graveyard

Science Alert ^ | December 15, 2021 | Peter Dockrill

[SunkenCiv]

A three-week archaeological dig in the English Channel took a bizarre, inexplicable turn, after researchers chanced upon a carefully cut grave hidden in the soil – the contents of which were definitely not human.

The discovery, made on the small island of Chapelle Dom Hue off the coast of Guernsey in September 2017, revealed the ancient remains of a medieval porpoise buried in the earth, and archaeologists were at a loss to explain the story behind this mysterious animal tomb.

"It's very peculiar, I don't know what to make of it," archaeologist Philip de Jersey from Oxford University in the UK told The Guardian at the time.

"Why go to the trouble of burying a porpoise in what looks like a grave?"

...de Jersey expected to find the remains of a medieval monk in the tomb, as the island is thought to have been a religious retreat for monks seeking refuge.

[SunkenCiv]

A version of this article was originally published in March 2018.

[SunkenCiv]

[BenLurkin]

What’s the porpoise of that?

[Tax-chick]

Keep it from stinking?

[SunkenCiv]

Wow, third post! E-fish-ent!

[kiryandil]

Don’t be so flipper about it.

[EvilCapitalist]

A porpoise? I was expecting it to be the legendary black beast of Aaaaargghh!

[Scarlett156]

It might have been a friendly wild animal that had become a sort of pet.

Or, more gruesomely, they may have been curing it for food. Mr K (not the one on this forum) is a Finn by ancestry and they eat rotten shark meat that has been buried for some time.

[jjotto]

It was a wokester burial for a beloved spouse. Only a speciest would disapprove.

[ClearCase_guy]

...de Jersey expected to find the remains of a medieval monk in the tomb

"The monk was serving a youthful porpoise"
-- Norm MacDonald

[ArtDodger]

Many primitive religions revered the porpoise as a god of sexuality.
They had 14inch tongues and breathed through the top of their heads...:/

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Then they might have thought it was the bottom half of a mermaid.

[DJ MacWoW]

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[ssapro]

Was it near castle Aaaaaargggh?

[HandyDandy]

Could be the Dauphin.

[null and void]

A Renault Dauphine?

[Bigg Red]

Mark

[cuban leaf]

Just before he died he was heard whispering, “so long, and thanks for all the fish.”

[gundog]

The bottle knows.

[SunkenCiv]

Okay, now I get why they picked in isolated graveyard on Guernsey for this burial... ;^)