15.2.2015 The square hid centuries-old graves

A vast burial site hundreds of years old has been discovered by archaeologists right in the centre of Horažďovice in the Klatovy region. It was hidden under a sidewalk. Among the most interesting is the grave of a pregnant woman buried with scissors and a medallion.

Archaeologists came across the very interesting and numerous finds six years ago during the research that preceded the modernization of the Peace Square. They came across a burial site hundreds of years old. The cemetery belongs to the Church of St. Peter and Paul. Although the archaeologists' work was complicated by the weather, they managed to get on with their excavation. Because of the cold, they had to work under heated tents, which have a limited capacity.

"Even so, there have been interesting and very numerous discoveries of preserved and, in several cases, dated human remains. By mid-March 2015, we had already recorded over 200 graves and the number is growing rapidly every day," archaeologist Hana Krasanovská from the West Bohemian Institute for the Preservation and Documentation of Monuments (ZIP) commented on the research at the time.

The archaeologists found a large number of skeletons especially near the northern part of the church. They were located 8 to 10 centimetres below the pavement. "At a depth of another 10 centimetres we came across at least four stages of graves. On average, in probe 57 alone, measuring 2x4.5 metres, we recorded over fifty graves at 15 centimetres of excavated depth," Krasanovská explained.

The individual graves were stacked next to or on top of each other in close proximity. According to the archaeologists, this is indeed a unique example of an etage cemetery. The graves had collapsed as a result of work on the pavements. Especially when the underlying material was being compacted. The archaeologists had their work cut out for them. They had to prepare and then document the graves.

According to Krasanovská, one of the most interesting and best preserved was the grave of a pregnant woman with the remains of a coffin. Inside, near the right side of the skull, archaeologists found a pair of scissors and, near the chest, a medallion with the beatified Aloysius Gonzaga and St. Ignatius de Loyola.

"It is thanks to this discovery with information about the date of the beatification of Gonzaga that we can place the tomb between 1622 and 1726. We also uncovered a double grave of what appears to be a little girl with a headdress and a slightly older child. They were lying close to each other and had their hands intertwined," the archaeologist added about the results of the research.

In addition to the graves, the archaeologists also found the foundations of buildings with pottery dating back to the 15th century. These were probably townhouses that were located in the area in the past.

Sources: www.muhorazdovice.cz, www.muzeumhd.cz