The outcasts, the sick, and the undead: atypical burials of the late medieval to modern greater Poland
Abstract Past burial practices can provide insights into the social status of the inhumed and inform us of how the individuals were perceived by their community. Atypical or “deviant” burials may indicate that the deceased was considered an outcast, either due to disease, different provenance, crimi...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-06-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04425-2 |
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| author | Joanna H Bonczarowska Joanna Wysocka Beata Drupka Nicolas Antonio da Silva Ben Krause-Kyora Marcin Krzepkowski |
| author_facet | Joanna H Bonczarowska Joanna Wysocka Beata Drupka Nicolas Antonio da Silva Ben Krause-Kyora Marcin Krzepkowski |
| author_sort | Joanna H Bonczarowska |
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| description | Abstract Past burial practices can provide insights into the social status of the inhumed and inform us of how the individuals were perceived by their community. Atypical or “deviant” burials may indicate that the deceased was considered an outcast, either due to disease, different provenance, criminal activity, or religious beliefs. To explore the importance of atypical burial practices in medieval and modern Poland, an interdisciplinary study was conducted on three Polish cemeteries (Dzwonowo, Skoki, and Wągrowiec) dating to the 14th -18th centuries CE. Twelve individuals were examined using archaeological evidence, anthropological analysis, and ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis. This study aimed to determine the underlying reasons behind the atypical nature of the burials (i.e., whether the individuals were outsiders, outcasts, relatives, or victims of infectious disease) and shed light on the complex interplay between health, social status, and community perception in medieval and modern Poland. The results revealed that a non-adult male and a middle-aged female, who were holding hands in a double burial in Skoki, possibly died from the plague. Yersinia pestis DNA was recovered from the non-adult individual, making it the third confirmed case of plague in Poland. Using the nonmetric skeletal traits, archaeological assemblage, and aDNA analysis, we identified several individuals as likely “outsiders” in the community. The results of this study expand our knowledge of past societal structures and cultural responses to disease as well as provide crucial context for interpreting burial patterns elsewhere in Europe. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7c4c1f0700a24bc99cb716464a5f5b00 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-7c4c1f0700a24bc99cb716464a5f5b002025-08-20T03:10:35ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-06-0115111610.1038/s41598-025-04425-2The outcasts, the sick, and the undead: atypical burials of the late medieval to modern greater PolandJoanna H Bonczarowska0Joanna Wysocka1Beata Drupka2Nicolas Antonio da Silva3Ben Krause-Kyora4Marcin Krzepkowski5Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Kiel UniversityDepartment of Anthropology, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of SciencesDepartment of Anthropology, University of WrocławInstitute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Kiel UniversityInstitute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Kiel UniversityRegional Museum of WągrowiecAbstract Past burial practices can provide insights into the social status of the inhumed and inform us of how the individuals were perceived by their community. Atypical or “deviant” burials may indicate that the deceased was considered an outcast, either due to disease, different provenance, criminal activity, or religious beliefs. To explore the importance of atypical burial practices in medieval and modern Poland, an interdisciplinary study was conducted on three Polish cemeteries (Dzwonowo, Skoki, and Wągrowiec) dating to the 14th -18th centuries CE. Twelve individuals were examined using archaeological evidence, anthropological analysis, and ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis. This study aimed to determine the underlying reasons behind the atypical nature of the burials (i.e., whether the individuals were outsiders, outcasts, relatives, or victims of infectious disease) and shed light on the complex interplay between health, social status, and community perception in medieval and modern Poland. The results revealed that a non-adult male and a middle-aged female, who were holding hands in a double burial in Skoki, possibly died from the plague. Yersinia pestis DNA was recovered from the non-adult individual, making it the third confirmed case of plague in Poland. Using the nonmetric skeletal traits, archaeological assemblage, and aDNA analysis, we identified several individuals as likely “outsiders” in the community. The results of this study expand our knowledge of past societal structures and cultural responses to disease as well as provide crucial context for interpreting burial patterns elsewhere in Europe.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04425-2Ancient DNAInfectious diseasePlagueYersinia pestisKinshipUndead |
| spellingShingle | Joanna H Bonczarowska Joanna Wysocka Beata Drupka Nicolas Antonio da Silva Ben Krause-Kyora Marcin Krzepkowski The outcasts, the sick, and the undead: atypical burials of the late medieval to modern greater Poland Scientific Reports Ancient DNA Infectious disease Plague Yersinia pestis Kinship Undead |
| title | The outcasts, the sick, and the undead: atypical burials of the late medieval to modern greater Poland |
| title_full | The outcasts, the sick, and the undead: atypical burials of the late medieval to modern greater Poland |
| title_fullStr | The outcasts, the sick, and the undead: atypical burials of the late medieval to modern greater Poland |
| title_full_unstemmed | The outcasts, the sick, and the undead: atypical burials of the late medieval to modern greater Poland |
| title_short | The outcasts, the sick, and the undead: atypical burials of the late medieval to modern greater Poland |
| title_sort | outcasts the sick and the undead atypical burials of the late medieval to modern greater poland |
| topic | Ancient DNA Infectious disease Plague Yersinia pestis Kinship Undead |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04425-2 |
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