Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Thirty skeletons have been found in the area surrounding the Kleine Zavel inside the Regentschapsstraat. Vooruit news media platform revealed this information through the Brussels State Secretary for Heritage, Ans Persoons’ office. Professional examinations of the bones confirm that the area contained a cemetery from medieval times.
Thirty skeletons from a medieval cemetery have been discovered in the Regentschapsstraat, which is near the Kleine Zavel. Wealthy residents discovered the fossils while Vivaqua and MIVB conducted utility work, which led to Urban.
Brussels to organize an archaeological study of the site. Primitive research reveals both singular adult grave sites and collective children interments showing stacked wooden coffins throughout different strata. For about four centuries, St. John’s Hospital linked site functioned as a burial place until local upper-class residents pressured for its relocation in the sixteenth century.
“Human bones were discovered by chance on 19 March between the Church of Our Lady of the Sablon and the Petit Sablon. This happened during work by Vivaqua to renovate water pipes, and by the MIVB to replace the tram rails”,
the Persoons cabinet announced.
“Urban.brussels then sent a team of archaeologists from the Royal Museum of Art and History to the site to carry out excavations.”
The bodies were often found in stacked coffins, on top of each other.
“Under the cobblestones of the Regentschapsstraat and the Park of the Kleine Zavel, a few centimeters deep, a piece of our city’s history is resurfacing today,”
says Persoons.
The area southeast of the Church of Our Lady of the Zavel was used as a cemetery for 400 years, from the end of the 13th century to the beginning of the 18th century, and the announcement by the Persoons cabinet continues.
“This site was home to the St. John’s Hospital, which was founded to care for the sick, the poor and pregnant women. In 1299, the institution made this land available as a cemetery and in 1304, part of it was given up for the construction of the Zavel Church.”
“These excavations are of great importance for the history of Brussels. They not only provide detailed knowledge about part of the population and its way of life, but also offer a better understanding of the social structure of that time.
Unlike other discoveries in parish cemeteries (besides churches), this is the cemetery of a hospital. This allows archaeologists to study another population group. For example, by analyzing the bones and various samples, it is possible to paint a picture of the living conditions of the population buried there over the centuries.”
“In the coming weeks, archaeologists, together with their colleagues from the Institute of Natural Sciences, the Société Royale d’Archéologie de Bruxelles (SRAB) and the Museum of Art and History, with the help of students from the ULB, will continue their work to analyze these discoveries.
In the meantime, the Vivaqua team will continue its work further away, in the section between the Petit Sablon and the Place Royale. These sites are also being closely monitored by the team of archaeologists for rescue excavations,”
the cabinet said.
What historical and archaeological context surrounds recent discoveries Near Kleine Zavel?
Archaeologists made this new discovery based on their 2015 findings, which showed 17th-century burial sites linked to the same hospital. The City of Brussels reports that annually, it conducts around 50 emergency archaeological excavations as part of construction projects which show Early Modern human bones and medieval remains at a rate of 15%.
The recent archaeological findings will enhance an existing collection of more than 1,000 comprehensively examined medieval skeletal remains, which researchers will use to investigate population changes and public wellness patterns.
The closeness between the cemetery and the noble dwellings of Egmont and Hornes led to historical criticism, which resulted in the site’s closure during the 18th century.
Studies conducted by ULB and SRAB seek to evaluate the remains against those from upper-class parish graves to highlight inequalities in early Brussels healthcare provision.
Archaeological findings from 2015 show a direct relation to the present discovery after builders uncovered 17th-century burial sites in the vicinity of Place Royale, which were associated with the same institution.
The construction infrastructure operations in Brussels require more than 50 emergency archaeological interventions per year and medieval or early modern human bones emerge in 15% of these rescue operations according to Urban.brussels. The newly excavated remains will form part of a total analysis database exceeding 1,000 skeletons from medieval Brussels that can show population changes and health trends.
Historical complaints about the cemetery emerged because it bordered noble residences, including the Egmont Palace and the Hornes Palace, thus leading authorities to shut it down in the 18th century.
SRAB and ULB maintain ongoing research that analyzes the human remains from common graves versus those found in higher-status civic burials in order to deliver an understanding of social class differences in early Brussels medical records.
