The Outcasts, the Sick, and the Undead: Atypical Burials of Greater Poland

The Outcasts, the Sick, Vampires and the Undead

The phrase "atypical burials" might sound almost understated given the gripping tales these ancient graves from Greater Poland have to tell. Stretching from the 14th to the 18th centuries CE, a period rich in societal turmoil and conflict, these burials whisper secrets of how people perceived disease, death, and the outliers of their communities – individuals who might have terrified, puzzled, or even been pitied by those who lived alongside them.

Archaeological Sites and Their Revelations

Among the cemeteries studied were Skoki, Wągrowiec, and Dzwonowo, each revealing its own poignant narrative crafted in bones and ancient soil. These archaeological sites reveal more than mere human remains; they provide a tapestry of societal attitudes towards disease, death, and the marginalized. Skoki, bearing the scars of the Great Northern and Seven Years' Wars, offers tales of Russian soldiers buried in neat rows, their Orthodox crosses buried with them a silent testament to their foreign faith and Eastern European origins.

The intriguing archaeology of these cemeteries reveals tales from the past that are often as chilling as they are enlightening. These unconventional interments have provided insights into the deep-rooted fears and societal norms of medieval and early modern Poland, where societal perceptions and health crises etched their markers not just in generational memory but also in stone and soil.

The Compelling Stories of Plague and Disease

Take, for instance, a haunting double burial from Skoki - the clasped hands of a young boy and a middle-aged woman hint at the close bond they shared, albeit posthumously cemented by the presence of Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that caused the plague. DNA investigations confirmed the non-adult was a victim of this devastating pathogen, unveiling him as one of the catastrophic plague's unfortunate casualties. While the pestilence was not confirmed in the woman's remains, the shared grave suggests an epidemic kinship none could deny, their connection symbolizing more than kinship, perhaps forged in shared mortality.

This discovery marks only the third confirmed case of plague in Poland, thrusting these individuals into the historical narrative of one of humanity's most feared pandemics. The consistent presence of Yersinia pestis within these atypical burials suggests a grim new layer to Poland's rich history, particularly during the devastating 1707-1710 plague epidemic in Greater Poland's capital Poznań, which claimed up to 65% of Wągrowiec's population.

Wągrowiec's graves unearth a sorrowful spectacle of two young, non-adult siblings laid to rest side by side. Yet these aren't just tales of sorrow – they are biological discoveries filled with glimpses into medieval Poland's grappling with disease, embodied in detectable traces of human parvovirus B19. A tragically evocative double burial of these children might seem innocently familial, but the presence of this virus tells of past plagues' unseen impacts, offering poignant glimpses into the vulnerabilities of medieval life and the indiscriminate nature of disease.

Warriors, Outsiders, and Foreign Graves

Another captivating find involved six males buried in a row at Skoki, presumed to be Russian soldiers from the Great Northern War or the Seven Years' War. The distinctive way their bodies were arranged in the burial, combined with personal items such as Orthodox crosses, points towards the multi-layered histories of war and occupation in this region. These soldiers were laid to rest far from home, their bodies etched with tales of conflict and disease, adding to cemeteries becoming repositories of untold stories of war and pestilence.

Genetic analyses reveal how some of these skeletal residents bore origins from as far afield as Eastern Europe, trapped in a foreign land whether by the vagaries of war or the pull of trade routes. Characteristic dental traits discovered among the buried point to diverse ancestries intersecting in Greater Poland, with some individuals showing traits typically associated with populations far from Polish borders, contributing to our understanding of the highly mobile and interconnected medieval world.

Superstitions and Fear of the Undead

Dzwonowo's outskirts narrated tales of its own: The lime-covered grave of one man, sealed with a startling array of iron nails, and another weighted with stones - these grisly methods were perhaps meant to bind the "undead", a widely feared specter that Polish folklore of the era so hastily sought to vanquish. The usage of lime itself suggests some effort to quell the menace of infectious clouds traveling from decaying corpses.

On the periphery of Dzwonowo's sacred grounds, mysterious burials with protective measures against the restless dead reveal local superstitions. These individuals were buried with curious protective measures that speak to a cultural response steeped in superstition, reflecting an era when fear of the "upiór" (undead) was palpable. This speaks to a community's attempts to shield itself from supernatural fears and disease-born calamities, perhaps inspired by the legends of the restless dead.

Burial Practices and Social Outcasts

In Christian Europe, non-conformity could consign individuals to a life, and indeed an afterlife, of rejection and misplacement. Atypical burials draw attention with unique elements such as deviant body positions and unexpected grave goods, notably graves suggesting violent ends or social ostracism due to disease. The meticulous nature of these burials—characterized by protective or restrictive measures such as stones, iron nails, and lime—suggests a societal fear that supposed instigators of trouble remained concerning even after death.

During times of epidemic crisis, the urgency to prevent infection likely governed burial practices far from traditional consecrated grounds. Such catastrophic events often led to mass graves where individuals were buried together—some bound by kinship, others by misfortune. These mass burials often signal societal responses to the rapid spread of death and fear, creating cemeteries that bear the marks of hurried, mass interments as testament to the sudden mortality these communities faced.

Ancient DNA Analysis and Scientific Insights

The integration of ancient DNA analysis provides an unparalleled perspective on the identities of these individuals and enriches our understanding of European burial customs. This multidisciplinary exploration combines archaeological digs, DNA findings, and historical records to cast light on the myriad faces of history's diseases, the complex weave of kinship, and the perceptions of outsiders in ages past.

Beyond skeletal analysis, grave goods and rituals emphasize the complex relationship between the living and those laid to rest under dubious circumstances. Objects like the Orthodox crosses found with the Skoki soldiers offer a poignant testament to religious variance and its heavy influence on burial practice, while DNA evidence connects individuals to their geographic origins and reveals the widespread impact of infectious diseases on medieval populations.

Cultural Legacy and Historical Understanding

Understanding these burial practices is more than an archaeological curiosity. It offers a lens through which we can see the cultural psyche of Greater Poland's medieval societies - a complex interplay of faith, fear, and family. These discoveries echo European-wide practices, as communities across the continent shaped their responses to the omnipresent threat of disease and death.

Through these atypical burials, we unravel a human narrative steeped in fear, superstition, and a quest for understanding—highlighting how communities dealt with those who defied or failed societal norms and expectations. This snapshot of history invites us to reflect on the universality of human responses to disease across time and cultures, revealing the indispensable role of scientific analysis in understanding the social dynamics of historical communities.

In examining these atypical burials, the study sheds light on a multifaceted society in medieval and modern Poland, where the intersection of disease, societal perceptions, and burial practices created narratives that continue to surface through careful archaeological investigation. While Poland's cemeteries have long whispered tales of past societies, the confirmation of plague victims and the stories of outcasts, warriors, and the feared undead alter our archaeological and historical landscape, offering new perspectives on human struggle through epochs of plague, war, and social upheaval.

The outcasts, the sick, and the undead: atypical burials of the late medieval to modern greater Poland - Scientific Reports

Scientific Reports - The outcasts, the sick, and the undead: atypical burials of the late medieval to modern greater Poland

NatureJoanna H Bonczarowska