Remains of a Mother and Child Found in a Single Grave at Ancient Grodno Cemetery
In the center of Grodno, on Malaya Traetskaya Street, archaeologists continue to investigate an unknown cemetery from the late 16th – early 17th century, discovered during construction work. Among more than two dozen burials, scientists found remains that may belong to a mother and child, buried together.
Valentina Vinnikova, junior researcher at the Anthropology Department of the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, told Grodno Television that 22 burials were uncovered and removed from the site during a week of work. Among the buried were women, children, and men, confirming that this is a typical urban cemetery.
However, one find has already attracted particular attention from researchers.
“It is difficult to say anything about the mother and child now, because they need to be fully cleared and examined,” Vinnikova cautiously noted.
Maria Tkacheva, a researcher at the Archaeology Department of the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, clarified: for Christian burials, a situation where a mother and child lie in the same grave is not the most common.
“More often, people tried to bury individuals in separate graves. So if this is confirmed to be a joint burial, it will be more of an exception to the rule than a typical practice,” Tkacheva explained.
Work at the site continues.
Scientists hope to gain more information that will help understand the burial traditions of urban residents in the 16th-17th centuries.
In addition to anthropological material, archaeologists discovered artifacts: a Nuremberg trade token from 1585-1636, two glass medallions, and a unique bone ear-pick (a hygiene item for cleaning ears), decorated with an animal resembling a dog.
“Most such items were made of bronze. But here we are dealing with a very well-decorated bone. This is a rarity for the 16th-18th centuries,” noted Alexander Vashanau, a researcher at the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus.
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