Renovation works of a car park in the town of Jaslo, Poland have led to the discovery of a subterranean tunnel and ossuary.
*Article updated due to incorrect translation*
The carpark sits on the remains of a cemetery attached to a former Carmelite monastery (a Roman Catholic mendicant religious order), that operated from the 15th century until the late 18th century AD.
After the monastery was deconsecrated, the buildings were repurposed as a military hospital and police station, until the Jaslo town council approved its demolition in 1899.
Previous archaeological excavations back in the 1960’s discovered the remains of several Carmelite cellars, along with numerous skeletal remains attributed to the cemetery in 2013.
In the latest excavations conducted by archaeologists from the Regional Museum in Jasło, 18 skeletal burials have been documented, in addition to an ossuary and a brick-built drainage tunnel that dates from the mid-19th century.
Researchers suggest that the ossuary and tunnel likely date from the same period, with any human remains uncovered during the digging of the tunnel being placed in the ossuary. An analysis of the bones recovered suggests that 96 individuals would have been interred in the ossuary.
Archaeologists also found over 700 fragments of artefacts, including 322 pottery fragments and 307 pieces of roof tile.
The Regional Museum in Jasło told theFirstNews: “The archaeological research aimed to reveal and document the skeletal burials, but there was hope that traces of the monastery buildings or items related to the monks’ daily life would be discovered.”
Header Image Credit : Regional Museum in Jasło
