Man Buried Under Heavy Stones to Prevent Him from 'Rising from the Grave'

A Strange Grave

In Germany, a team of archaeologists found themselves stunned after unearthing a grave that contained a man weighed down by stones. The grave was situated near the town of Quedlinburg in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, Live Science reported. Archaeologists have put forward various theories behind the man being buried in such a manner. As per researchers, the site where this grave was found had been a 17th-century gallows hill, a burial place, where mostly criminals were put down. These experts working for the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt, discovered multiple graves, during their excavation and hope to understand more about the social customs in place through their findings on the site, All That's Interesting reported. 

'Gallows Hill'

The execution site has been identified as a "galgenburg" — "gallows hill" in English by archeologists, Live Science reported. In such places convicted criminals were hanged and buried, so that no one would have to carry their bodies over long distances, as per Marita Genesis, an archaeologist who is leading the excavations on the site. "People were usually buried lovelessly in the ground like animal carcasses, without any sympathy or care," Genesis said. These individuals were often placed on their stomachs or their sides with their hands on top of each other, which according to Genesis implied that they were bound.

'Revenant'

Archaeologists associated with the excavations believe that the man was buried with stones on his body because authorities wanted to prevent his arrival as a 'revenant,' Live Science reported. Revenant refers to the spirits that came back to the living realm because of dying without confession or absolution. Such measures were undertaken to prevent such spirits from interfering with the life of the living, says Genesis. Other methods by which 'revenants' were stopped, included spraying incense, placing wooden crosses, binding the limbs of the deceased, or covering them with brushwood, she added.

Condition of the Body

Genesis stated that the man was buried on his back with large stones on his chest, Live Science reported. The archeologists believe that the stones were placed on the chest, to prevent the man from, rising from the grave. On further analysis, the team found that the buried skeleton showed no signs of execution. Despite these results, the archaeologists do not want to definitively state that the man wasn't executed, as oftentimes hanging and drowning do not leave any visible marks on an individual's body. The team wants to conduct more examinations to unearth the 'revenant' man's cause of death.

Other Findings

Archeologists found several personal items from the gallows, including ceramics, buttons, clothing, and other artifacts, All That's Interesting reported. Another grave that they unearthed from the site, indicated to them that all people on the site might not have been execution victims. In this grave, the man was put down in a wooden coffin with a rosary around his neck. As per experts, this form of burial could have been chosen because the man committed suicide. The team wants to explore the findings on the site along with the graves to understand more about the customs and traditions in play during those times. "Looking into the floor of a place of execution makes it possible to read the legal history of the respective region, as if in a book," Genesis said, Live Science reported.