Discovery of Europe’s Largest Mass Burial Site, ‘Plague Grave’
The British newspaper “Daily Mail” reports that during excavation for building a house in Nuremberg, Germany, the largest mass burial site in Europe has been discovered, housing approximately 1500 bodies.
The newspaper speculated today that the discovered grave could be the largest mass burial site ever found in Europe, noting that it contained remains of children, elderly men, and women.
It was indicated that the site, dubbed the “Giant Plague Grave,” contained the remains of at least 1000 people who died due to the “Double Plague,” which killed up to 60% of Europe’s population.
The newspaper specified that some of the bodies were clothed or wrapped in fabric when buried, but overall, they were tightly packed at the burial site, reflecting a high mortality rate from the deadly disease.
Experts believe, according to the newspaper, that the bodies were buried in the early 17th century after a merciless wave of the disease.
Nuremberg Mayor Marcus König said this discovery was “of great significance beyond the region,” as quoted by the newspaper.
Melanie Langbein from Nuremberg’s Heritage Conservation Department stated that eight plague pits had been identified, each containing several hundred bodies.
She pointed out to CNN that they were not buried in a regular cemetery, although plague graves were planned in Nuremberg.
Julian Decker, from the company “In Terra Veritas” overseeing the excavations, said, “There was no indication of the existence of graves in this area,” suggesting “there could be 2000 or more, making it the largest mass grave in Europe.”
Bubonic plague spreads through the bite of fleas infected with a bacterium called “Yersinia pestis,” where infected individuals die rapidly and gruesomely, after a bout of intense fever, chills, vomiting, headaches, delirium, and swelling.
Plague pandemics struck the world in three waves from the 13th to the 20th century, killing millions of people, with the first wave, known as the Black Death in Europe, occurring from 1347 to 1351, while the second wave in the 19th century saw the emergence of a new strain of the disease, and the last one in the 19th century spread throughout Asia.
Nuremberg suffered outbreaks of plague about every ten years from the 14th century onwards, making it a fascinating discovery for the recent findings.
Experts found a note dating back to 1634 detailing the spread of the plague at the site, which resulted in the death of over 15,000 people between 1632 and 1633, leading them to believe it was the plague epidemic of 1632-1633.
Ralph Schichera, CEO of the WBG group working on the new retirement home, said they did not expect such a significant discovery, adding, “As developers, we understand the importance of archaeology and are committed to conducting such excavations.”
He emphasized, “On one hand, this means we are doing everything we can to adhere to the schedule for building the retirement home, and on the other hand, we are doing everything we can to ensure the documentation of this historical discovery.”
