Archaeologists find largest burial site of plague victims in Europe

Archaeologists have excavated the largest mass grave of plague victims in Europe to date, Report informs.

The discovery was made in the German city of Nuremberg.

The study was published on the official website of the scientific organization In Terra Veritas (ITV).

Scientists say they discovered eight pits, each filled with hundreds of skeletons of adults, children and infants. Experts also recovered fragments of ceramics and silver coins from the ground. Radiocarbon dating of the objects showed that the age of the shards coincided with outbreaks of plague that occurred between 1622 and 1634.

Some of the skeletons were tinted green by deposits from ironworks that were built over the burial sites in subsequent centuries.

"A discovery like this has never happened before, and, frankly, no one thought it was possible. This site is of great importance for the city of Nuremberg," said Melanie Langbein, a specialist at the Nuremberg Department for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage.

According to historical data, from 1533 to 1634, a series of outbreaks of plague occurred in Nuremberg, which in total claimed about 30,000 lives. There were so many bodies that the authorities ordered them to be buried outside the city cemeteries.