Archaeology in Baden-Württemberg
  Excavations at the Deserted Medieval Village of Vöhingen

An Unusual Burial

Unusual burial One skeleton was discovered buried face down, with the legs sharply contracted, so that the heels were almost touching the pelvis. A small iron buckle was found next to the left calf, perhaps indicating that the legs were bound with a belt. The osteological examination revealed that this was a 30 - 40 year old man, 1,65 - 1,70 m tall and sturdily built, with some degenerative wear on the spine and the teeth. No clues about the cause of death were found. Burials face down are documented from almost all archaeological periods; it is thought this was due to a superstition that the individual might return to haunt the community.
<--Start © 1998 Dr. Susanne Arnold - Landesdenkmalamt Baden-Württemberg next page