Archaeologists in the East Flemish city of Aalst have discovered the skeleton of a man who was dissected shortly after his death. The find offers a rare glimpse into how surgeons studied the human body in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Dissected skeleton provides archaeologists with a rare insight into how surgeons studied the human body
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The excavation was carried out by a team from, the South-East Flanders intermunicipal heritage cell SOLVA. Inside a wooden coffin, they found a skeleton with clear traces of dissection. Both arms, the two upper legs and both lower legs had been carefully sawed through.
The deceased man’s skull may also have been worked on but it was too poorly preserved for archaeologists to be certain.
The deceased man’s skull may also have been worked on but it was too poorly preserved for archaeologists to be certain. /content/dam/vrtnieuws/2025/05/21/P1150042.JP
Liesbeth Massagé is a physical anthropologist. She highlights the craftsmanship of the cuts made. “There is no trace of any hesitation. This work was probably done by an experienced doctor”.
The body was found on the site of the former Jennemiekes cemetery on Dendermondsesteenweg in Aalst. Burials took place there between 1784 to 1867.
During the Archaeology Days on 24 and 25 May (site only in Dutch) visitors will be able to tour the site and archaeologists will talk about their exceptional find.
