&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "500-year-old crypt under Polish church reveals coffins covered in tar, triggering a hunt for answers")
A sealed crypt under a Polish monastery has revealed something never seen before. Archaeologists wanted to reach this area under the Church of St. John the Baptist and the Five Martyrs in Kazimierz Biskupi. However, there was no passage available to enter it. So they tunnelled their way under the monastery, an endeavour which took more than a month. Once they reached under the church’s altar, they made a surprising discovery. They found three layers of coffins stacked on top of each other in the crypt, with a total of six burials, a translated statement from the Kazimierz Biskupi government mentioned. Metal rods separated one of the layers, and an unusual layer of a fabric and tar mixture was also present on the coffins. Scientists suspect this mixture was likely used as a sealing agent. Also Read: 20,000-year-old labyrinth with 3,000 rooms lies under Egypt pyramid, centuries-old claim resurfaces
Tar and fabric together had never been seen in crypts in Poland
Malgorzata Grupa of the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun said she had never come across such a layered sandwich of fabric and tar, according to the Polish Press Agency. The team believes the tar and the fabric were sandwiched between each other. Tar was commonly used to seal the coffins, and the fabric was likely allowed to add more layers since the burials did not happen for several days, Popular Mechanics reported. Reaching the monastery's crypt took several days, and so the burials were delayed. Using tar and fabric helped seal the coffins better.
Also Read: Who built 2,000-foot ancient tunnels in Brazil and Argentina? Not humans, not nature, but…
They also think that one of the people buried in the crypt was likely a person of higher stature. This is hinted at by the use of metal rods to separate the first layer of coffins. “It must have been a significant figure, since they didn’t want to place the subsequent coffins directly on top of this person’s coffin,” Grupa said. She added that this is not something exactly new; however, it is the first time they have "encountered such a clear situation in Poland.”
How did the Polish church crypt attract attention?
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Reaching the crypt was the toughest task. The archaeologists had to tunnel 23 feet into the site under the church. The crypt became a centre of attention in 2022 when they started searching for the remains of at least 100 people from dozens of coffins in the church’s vaults. They were specifically looking for the remains of the Bernardines, who owned the monastery. This site was built both as a church and monastery complex between 1513 and 1520, the Polish Press Agency reported. Burials didn't start there until the 17th century, the researchers noted. The crypt will soon be opened to the public since the remains have been removed and will be studied.
