Man buried with large stones on his chest to prevent him from 'rising from the grave' unearthed in Germany

Big stones on top of human skeleton remains. — Large stones were placed on the chest of a man buried at the execution site, supposedly to prevent him "rising from the grave" as a "revenant." (Image credit: Jörg Orschiedt/State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt )

Archaeologists have unearthed the grave of a man weighed down by stones — apparently to prevent him from rising from the dead as a "revenant" — while excavating around a 17th-century gallows in Germany.

The grave, located near the town of Quedlinburg in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, is one of at least 16 discovered at the gallows site, where criminals were executed by hanging from the 1660s until the early 19th century.

"These were people who had possibly died an early death, or a sudden death, without confession or absolution," she said. "It was fear that they might return to the realm of living, [so] various measures were taken to prevent the deceased from doing so."

Such measures could include spraying incense, placing wooden crosses, binding the limbs of the deceased, or covering them with brushwood, she said. In this case, the man was buried on his back, without a coffin, and large stones were placed on his chest — a measure "obviously intended to prevent him from rising from the grave," Genesis said.

The buried skeleton showed no signs of execution, though hanging and drowning wouldn't have left any visible marks. Further examinations may reveal how the man died, she said.

Skeleton remains scattered on ground of dried dirt. — One of the two "bone pits" unearthed at the execution site; archaeologists think these were for the remains of criminals that had been disrupted by later burials. (Image credit: Marita Genesis/State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt )

Gallows hill

The execution site was a "galgenberg" — "gallows hill" in English — where convicted criminals were hanged and often buried so no one had to carry the bodies long distances, Genesis said. The site has at least 16 individual graves and two "bone pits" that held remains disturbed by later burials.

Some of the skeletons show sharp-force injuries that may have been inflicted during torture on "the wheel" or during "quartering," a gruesome form of execution reserved for the worst criminals.

Most of the deceased, including the "revenant," were buried without coffins.

"People were usually buried lovelessly in the ground like animal carcasses, without any sympathy or care," Genesis said. They often lay on their stomachs or on their sides with their hands on top of each other, "which indicates that they were bound," she added.

Skeleton uncovered in grave. — One of the people buried at the site was placed in a wooden coffin, which has now mostly rotted away; archaeologists think this person took their own life. (Image credit: Jörg Orschiedt/State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt )

Strange burial

But one of the burials at Quedlinburg is unusual because the person was interred in a wooden coffin, lying on their back with their hands placed in front of them. The archaeologists suspect this person had killed themselves, which was then seen as a type of murder — so the law required that they be buried at an execution site, Genesis said.

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Man buried with large stones on his chest to prevent him from 'rising from the grave' unearthed in Germany

Gallows hill

Strange burial