Archaeologists have brought to light the most extensive remains of a medieval Jewish cemetery in France. The National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) announced this month that excavations concluded last year in Châteauroux, in central France, had revealed 46 graves dating to between the 12th and 14th centuries.
INRAP said the find was “exceptional” given that virtually all medieval Jewish cemeteries disappeared, appropriated by the crown, after the Jews were expelled from France in 1306, 1394, and 1502. Only a few remaining physical traces are known to remain — mainly gravestones now held in museums.
Watch a video (in French) about the discovery (scroll down on linked page)
The burials, mainly of “adults or large adolescents buried in coffins” were found near where 10 graves of children, also buried in coffins, had been found during excavations in 1997.
Fieldwork revealed that the [newly revealed] graves were organized in parallel rows in which burials (west-east) were carried out very closely (with little overlap). This arrangement reflects rigorous management of the funeral space and implies the presence of surface signage (probable stone steles, not found during the excavation).
Both excavations took place at what had been presumed to be the site of the medieval Jewish cemetery, based on an 18th century map. The latest excavations had been undertaken to
confirm the link of this cemetery with the Castelroussine Jewish community, study its organization by acquiring a greater number of burials, analyze the funeral practices associated with the deceased, determine the composition of the buried population (ages, sexes, health status, etc.) and specify the date of use of the cemetery.
The announcement said that the finds now represented “the largest collection from a medieval Jewish cemetery in France.” The excavations were carried out by archaeologists from several institutions, led by INRAP archaeologist Philipe Blanchard under the supervision of the Regional Service of Archeology.
The study and analysis of the data will allow comparisons with the other rare French and European examples. In the long term, the hope is to be able to deliver to archaeologists keys to the recognition of these funeral spaces during preventive diagnoses by indicating the elements which make it possible to identify the main characteristics of medieval Jewish cemeteries. The study of funeral practices would thus make it possible to distinguish Jewish, Christian and possibly Muslim cemeteries (Iberian Peninsula for example).
The skeletal remains found in the graves will be interred in the Jewish section of the Châteauroux cemetery, where the remains of the 10 children found in 1997 also were reburied.
Read an article about Jewish cemeteries in France
Read about the medieval Jewish cemeteries rediscovered recently in ROME and BOLOGNA