Skeletons Found Under Paris Store

By Jasmin Robertson

In Paris, over 200 skeletons were found under Monoprix supermarket. The store was built on the site that was once a hospital cemetery. In early January the store was doing some renovations; a wall beneath the store was removed and revealed a gruesome sight. There under the store were hundreds of bones that belonged to hundreds of people.

The skeletons buried there were not tossed into the ground, but placed carefully head to toe so they all could fit. There were skeletons of men, women, and children alike.

The burial site was in use from the 12th century to the 17th century. The archeologists working on the site found 8 graves nearby just like the one beneath Monoprix supermarket. In seven of these graves there were 5 to 20 bodies each. In one grave about 150 more skeletons were discovered.

In the times in which the cemetery was used, Paris had a number of plagues and illnesses that most likely caused the deaths of those buried on that site. Among these illnesses was a smallpox breakout in the 17th century. It is believed that families were buried together in the smaller graves. When the cemetery was closed, most remains were moved to the Catacombs of Paris, archeologist Isobelle Abadie told BFM TV. “But apparently the job was not done well,” she said.

The finding of these remains gives researchers a chance to answer questions that may have been left unanswered. Maybe the illnesses they find can help provide information on other illnesses today that have no cure. Who knows what they will find. These remains may just be the answer.