A great deal can be learned about the dead through the study of their physical remains and their burials but there are limitations. In the field of mortuary archaeology it is well known that the study of the dead is less about the dead and more about how the living feel about the dead. This is reflected in all aspects of the burial, including but not limited to the presence or absence of grave goods, the location and style of burial, and any monuments dedicated to memorializing the deceased. Today’s blog post will discuss two deviant burials found in northern Italy that provide us a great deal of insight into the cultural values of the period based on the conditions of the deceased as they were unhappily laid to rest.
Beginning in the 1300s in northern Italy a series of investigations were beginning, which would have a profound effect on the views of people and burial practices of the guilty and dead. These investigations grew into larger witch trials, and modern Italian archaeologists excavating at the San Calocero monastery in Albenga (northern Italy) have uncovered evidence of at least two “witches”. The first was of a 13-year-old girl who was buried sometime between 1400-1500. She was buried face down, which was odd but also a significant sign of how the undertaker felt about her. To be buried face down was a sign that she was cast out of society, and they wanted to ensure that her soul, which would exit through her mouth, did not wreak havoc on the living. Her soul would instead sink down deeper into the earth and not easily or ever return to haunt the living.
A year after the announcement of her discovery another gruesome discovery was released. This time it was a girl aged between 15 and 17 who had been burned, bound, and thrown into a pit, which was eventually covered with thick stone slabs. The combination of her burnt body and the placement of the slabs over her burial suggested that she, too, was someone the living feared, and they wanted to ensure she did not return to harm the living, be it with her physical body or soul. It was unclear if she had been burned alive or postmortem, but further analysis of her body showed that she suffered severe malnutrition. This led the archaeologists to suppose that the related conditions may have been mistaken for bewitching behavior, hence why she was subsequently disposed of in this way.
These two burials have subsequently been identified as potential witch burials, meaning these young women, for whatever reason, were accused of witchcraft and their burials reflected that status in their death. They were by no means the only “deviants” buried in the cemetery. Additional evidence of individuals accused of vampirism have also been discovered, but these two women are so far the only two published cases of witch burials in Italy. Their tragic deaths provide us greater insights into what life was really like in Medieval Italy, and it was very heartbreaking for those accused and found guilty of interacting with the supernatural.
References
Holloway, A. (2014, October 8). Archaeologists uncover 'witch' burial in Italy. Retrieved from Ancient Origins: https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/archaeologists-uncover-witch-burial-italy-002180
Lorenzi, R. (2015). Skeleton of Burnt 'Witch Girl' Found in Italy. Retrieved from Live Science: https://www.livescience.com/amp/52849-skeleton-of-burnt-witch-girl-found-in-italy.html
Miller, M. (2015, November 21). Archaeologists find medieval teenage witch burial in Italian town. Retrieved from Ancient Origins: https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/archaeologists-find-medieval-teenage-witch-burial-italian-town-004638
Seidel, J. (2015, November 24). Burial of executed ‘witch girl’ uncovered in Italy. Retrieved from News.com.au: https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/archaeology/burial-of-executed-witch-girl-uncovered-in-italy/news-story/e72fda1ac5ce1d2f43a96f611c0c08ee
11 comments:
I wonder in other areas, is burying someone down will cause their soul to go down into hell and not up to haunt others. But I do agree she must have been an outcast to society if she was faced down. Meaning she probably didn’t even have an typical American funeral when you do face the body up to see the body one last time. As far as them being witches I don’t think that may be true but its always possible
This blog post is very interesting, when I think about a "Witch" I just think of an old deceased angry women. When I read that they buried the 13 years old girl face down I just felt like "Oh Wow". To me that's harsh but I guess that's how the living felt about her but she was only 13, so why? I still don't believe in witches though after reading this.I don't know, the whole Witch thing just rub me the wrong way, I don't know how to feel about them. - Maka'la Reynolds
As a supernatural show fan some of the things I read in this article I’ve see in a show. The fact that all of these young women were around the age of 15- 17 and being accused as witches fits the era that this happen. I’m not saying that witchcraft isn’t real because I definitely believe it was practice and maybe still is.But maybe that’s just how they buried their dead at that time. Interesting blog though.
-Jasmine Hill
This blog was intriguing to me since it demonstrated that witches might be young as well as old. I was taken aback when I read that "if she had been burned alive or postmortem," "Her soul would instead sink down deeper into the earth," as if they had no choice but to do so in order not to harm the people. -Hiba A.
In this blog, it reflects on how some witches can be young and some can be old. I don't believe that witches are real, even after reading the blog and other things regarding them. The thought of them being real, seems weird to me. I just can't believe that they would be burned alive.
- Jada Watkins
reading this article was interesting. They intended to make sure her soul, which would depart through her mouth, did not wreak havoc on the living by burying her face down.I would hate to be the 13 and be accused of being a witch and being buried alive just makes it worse.-FE
I found this blog post to be very interesting. Archeologists' investigation into witch trials led them to uncover at least two witches. Upon discovering the witch site evidence has shown that one of the witches was casted out of society. The tragic deaths of these individuals reveals that they were in some type of Dominic interactions and were involved in supernatural activities. Showing signs of ritual involvements the burials were cut off from the world. These uncommon burials illustrate a sanction that these witches deserved in the eyes of the living. The living did not accept the actions and the nature of the dead. Resting their face down into the ground is intended to humiliate and shame the individuals from rising from the grave. These crucial deaths reflected that the living wanted to eliminate any ties to the witch world and anyone a part of it. The burials that were found in northern Italy indicated that the society did not accept any mythical nature and outcasted any connection to it. Mortuary Archaeology has conducted research on the dead and how they are perceived by the living. This research emphasizes the cultural mindset that was set in place during medieval times.
A witch rings different in my mind, as an old angry woman, but being as young as 13 years shocks me despite being accused. Burying the woman while she is facing down fascinates me, so we may head down to hell and her soul may never be back. I have never believed in witches but this blog makes me think again about their actions.
It is shocking to learn how young these girls were when they were accused of being witches and to learn of their horrible deaths. It makes me wonder how it was determined that these young girls were in fact witches or if it was just an assumption. From the way the girls were buried it is not hard to tell how the undertaker felt about them and from the details of their deaths you know how the people in the community and especially the person who did these things felt about them. It is said they were buried face down, so that their souls would go down into the ground, but who is to say this would actually happen? It is possible for their "witchy soul" to escape before they were placed face down in the ground.
McKenzie Williams
This blog post was a difficult read but necessary for the education of cultural beliefs and burial practices of ITaly in the 1300s and their beliefs of the supernatural and burial ceremonies. I could not imagine not only being malnutrition but burned and cemented in the ground it is a gruesome demise along with being buried faced down seems saddening and disrespectful. Renn Bullard
I used to be interested in learning about witches and things like that so I am not surprised with how young these lady's were at their time of death. I do agree that the way they were buried and the affects on their body such as being burned points to evidence that they were most likely accused of being witches. I know at that time there was a lot of supernatural beliefs when it came to women being witches and the test they made them do to prove they weren't.
-Keira Robinson
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