Archaeologists in Aalst have unearthed a pair of remarkable skeletons: two men who were buried in their graves wearing shackles. The age of the skeletons is not yet clear. This is the first time that skeletons wearing shackles have been found in Belgium, they say.
Culture
Unique discovery: Archaeologists find two skeletons buried in shackles
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The remains were found during excavations of the old Jennemiekes cemetery from the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
The first skeleton is that of an adult male aged around 40. Analysis of the bones shows he was malnourished in his youth and there are signs of infection above his left knee. He also had at least one hernia in his lower back.
The man was buried with heavy ankle shackles connected to each other by iron links.
The second is also that of an adult male, buried with handcuffs on. The skeleton is in poorer condition, so not much information is known about it yet. The handcuffs are also not well preserved, with only lock remaining.
“It is still too early to date the skeletons with certainty,” says Louise Savels of archaeology service SOLVA. “We can see that they were buried in the same orientation in roughly the same area of the cemetery.”
Bodies buried in shackles have never been seen before in Belgium. Further biochemical research and archival studies will carried out to learn more about the reason for this method of burial.
“We have a lot of questions about these chained bodies,” says Savels. “At the moment, we are considering various hypotheses: are they buried criminals? Executed prisoners?”
SOLVA is carrying out excavations on behalf of the city council as part of the construction of the new Tragelweg. The finds show that a large part of recent history is still unknown, according to councillor Sarah Smeyers. “We are very curious about the further results of the research, because these finds could potentially reveal a completely new story in our history,” she says.
The site will be open to visitors on 18 January, with free guided tours by the archaeologists at 10.00 and 13.00.
