Archaeologists working at Fonmon Castle in Wales recently uncovered an extensive burial ground containing at least four bodies placed in specific crouching positions.
Teams working at the castle near Barry, in the Vale of Glamorgan, believed there are upwards of 80 bodies within the site, likely buried around 1,500 years ago, according to a press release from Cardiff University. Of the 18 examined so far, four were found buried in a crouched position, which isn’t unseen before but is incredibly rare.
“This is a really exciting discovery. Sites of this date are extremely rare in Wales and often do not preserve bone and artefacts,” Cardiff University lecturer Dr. Andy Seaman said in the press release. “Other similar sites have found bodies in crouched positions such as this, but considering the number of graves we have looked at so far, there seems to be a high proportion. This could be evidence of some sort of burial rite being carried out.”
A majority of the research work was conducted over the summer of 2023, according to a post shared on Twitter. But far more analysis of the site and its treasures is needed to understand the lives of the people who once inhabited this part of the world.
An early medieval cemetery has been discovered within the grounds of Fonmon Castle.
Archaeologists from @CUHistArchRel carried out a dig in the summer, with further radiocarbon dating and analysis revealing the full extent of their find.
🔗https://t.co/USqdrIG9cE pic.twitter.com/x6xqJdRhrG
— Cardiff University (@cardiffuni) January 4, 2024
The bodies found in the crouched positions were all women, but it’s still unclear whether this was purposeful or not. “Certain individuals are clearly being given particular burial rites. Whether that’s to do with their social identity or role in the community, we don’t know. But all the crouched burials are on their right-hand side and they’re looking south, so there’s a coherence to them,” Seaman continued.
The site doesn’t appear to be specifically for burials, as many other items have been recovered throughout the excavation process. Examples include rare types of imported glass drinking vessels, as well as heaps of animal bones. (RELATED: New Discovery At Stonehenge Starts To Rewrite Centuries-Old Theory)
The owner of Fonmon Castle is understandably thrilled with the discovery, and it’ll all be profiled on an upcoming episode of the BBC’s “Digging for Britain” series.