A medieval cemetery near Cardiff airport reveals secret seventh secrets, wealth and strange burials

Discovered last year near the airport of Cardiff (Gales)An unusual site of the eighth century or VII revealed dozens of skeletons in unusual positions with several surprising artifacts, What the archaeologists left Ask a thousand questions. Now, the latest discoveries deepen the mystery, since the investigations reveal that most of the buried were women and that their bones showed signs of manual work, but also of wealth and luxury.

A discovery above all The body of a woman within a moat is surprising, which contrasts with the others buried with great care. “Every time we think that it appears something else and the panorama becomes more intriguing”, Andy Seaman, from Cardiff University.

The excavation of about half of the site, located in a field in the Fonmon castle, brought 39 to light adult skeletonsAlmost all female except one. Dr. Seaman is not yet sure of its meaning, suggesting that can represent a community concrete or a specific section of an important cemetery.

Two children’s skeletons were also foundAn unexpectedly low number given the high rate of childhood mortality of the time. His tombs have peculiar characteristics, like a darker and more organic filling, which indicates a delay between their burial and that of adults. Among the artifacts found on the site there were ceramic fragments and a fine -recorded glass. The glass, probably imported from Levante and in southern France, suggests that the community had an important status.

Each person was carefully buriedSome lying, others in squats, all oriented by this to the west. The woman were still an anomaly, perhaps an marginalized or a criminal. Your bones will be investigated in the laboratory of the University of Cardiff.

“We hope to tell the story of the individuals of the cemetery, but also that of the community in general,” said Seaman to the “BBC”. “We know a lot about the life of kings and queens, but much less on ordinary people. E We had never been able to explore before In so much detail a single community and all its interesting interrelationships. “