Archaeologists in Crimea Discover Byzantine Necropolis with Tomb of a Giant
While work continues on the reconstruction of the Mithridates Staircase in Kerch, archaeologists have also been excavating in the area. They have uncovered a 100-square-meter necropolis that contains burials of people who once visited the Temple of John the Baptist.
To date, 27 burials have been uncovered, including some of children and twins. Bronze pendants and bracelets have also been found, as well as felt clothing that helped to date the find.
The most unusual find, however, was a funerary
box that exceeded 2.3 meters in length. When it was uncovered, the skeleton of a giant was found inside.
The average height of the population at the time was 1.6 meters, so the discovery of a giant skeleton is puzzling. The anthropologist on the excavation team is hoping to be able to estimate the age of the person buried there.
The excavation work has been slow due to the complicated terrain. In ancient times, garbage was simply thrown on the ground, and the necropolis was built on top of all of these ancient remains. This has made it difficult for archaeologists to give an exact interpretation of the origin of everything found.
The experts are in negotiations with the diocese of Kerch-Feodosia to be able to extract the remains found and examine them better. They are continuing to investigate the origin of the mysterious skeleton and the reason for its abnormal size.
The existence of giants is common in different ancient cultures, and traditional archaeology has often tried to keep these types of findings hidden. However, discoveries like the one in Crimea show that they did exist.
