According to records, the oldest graves in prehistory date back to 80,000 BC. These graves reveal endless information about the past of our various ancestors. Moreover, the tombs also strengthen, in the existence of prehistoric man, the belief in spirituality and religious sense.
On the other hand, graves are objects of study in several paleontology researches. Such studies have allowed more and more to reconstruct the steps of the human being. Admittedly, the past is still dark and perhaps even impenetrable in many respects. The very passage of time has destroyed documents and monuments that would be able to reveal the great secrets of humanity.
Today we no longer have explicit traces of our past. The farther back in time, the scarcer the preserved documents . However, despite all these difficulties, scientists keep discovering new things. The last? Ancient graves with rare stories. Do you know what they are?
1 – Sohag
In 2018, smugglers were caught red-handed trying to break into a tomb in Egypt. Worse, the thieves were the first to find the camera. Located near the Egyptian city of Sohag, the tomb was created about 2,000 years ago. There are paintings showing the processions of funerals and workers in the field. Originally, the grave was intended for a couple. The man was supposed to be a high-ranking officer named Tutu. The woman, who was supposed to be between 35 and 50 years old, was buried along with a boy, who appeared to be between 12 and 14 years old. They were surrounded by mummified animals, including cats and birds. For some inexplicable reason, there were also over 50 mice, all mummified as well.
2 – Rakhigarhi
The Indus Valley has produced several ancient and mysterious cities. The most famous is Mohenjo Daro. However, in Rakhigarhi, located in the Indian state of Haryana, is the largest settlement in the valley. Of the 70 burials that took place there, only one is impressive enough to highlight. Excavations revealed two skeletons, which appeared to be closely linked. It is believed, of course, that both were a couple. It is estimated that they died about 4,500 years ago. The cause of death is still a mystery. The bones showed no signs of injury or disease. Both were also young. The man was about 35 years old and the woman 25.
3 – The explorer
Captain Matthew Flinders died in 1814. He died young at the age of 40 and was buried near Euston Station in London. During the year 1849, the location of the grave was lost due to the expansion of a railroad. Due to the large number of people buried where the railroad was being built, many doubted that Flinders’ grave could be found again. However, in 2019, the construction of a high-speed rail reached St. James’s Cemetery, where Flinders was buried, along with 40,000 others. Working alongside the builders, archaeologists found a coffin that contained a lead plate. There, archaeologists identified the remains of Matthew Flinders.
4 – The Siberian
In 2019, archaeologists dug up a flashy tomb in the Siberia’s Novosibirsk region. Bronze Age skeletons had been found in the region before, but this one in particular confused the experts. The man was buried 5,000 years ago with a necklace made of bird beaks and skulls. Due to the presence of skulls and beaks, experts have called the skeleton “Birdman”. It is believed that the necklace may have been a ritualistic requirement, suggesting that the man was a shaman.
5 – For the family
In 2011, a ditch was discovered near a Polish village of Koszyce. Initially, it was believed to be just another Bronze Age massacre. But a recent study has revealed the whole story, which, by the way, is quite moving. About 5,000 years ago, 15 adults and children, all from the same family, were killed and buried together. Most of the bodies were women and children. Within the dead, there were 4 mothers, each of whom was buried next to their own children. The reason for the massacre so far is unknown, but it is believed to have been a kind of intercultural violence.
6 – Catalhoyuk
Catalhoyuk in Turkey is seen by many as one of the first cities in the world. About 8,000 people gathered during the height of their occupation. In 2019, according to archaeological research, people who lived in this region about 1,000 years ago were victims of various acts of violence. After analyzing 742 bodies found nearby, archaeologists found that women suffered more brutal blows than men.
7 – Czech Republic
Sedlec Ossuary is a chapel in the Czech Republic from 1400 AD. The site is decorated with about 70,000 skeletons and has 30 mass graves located below the chapel. Each of the ditches contains about 1,500 skeletons. The ancient burials took place in 1318 AD, when famine devastated the region. Signs in the chapel suggest that people were buried hastily, probably not to accumulate the number of corpses or due to fear of infection.
