A thousand human skeletons found on the territory of an abbey in France (photo)

In the center of Tours, in the Loire Valley, a unique excavation project has been launched to uncover the Beaumont Abbey. This monastery, founded in 1002 AD, was home to Benedictine nuns for eight centuries.

The excavations, which are being conducted by the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) and the Archaeological Service of the André and Loire Department (SADIL), are yielding impressive results. For the first time in Europe, researchers have the opportunity to fully reveal the secrets of the abbey, writes Newsweek.

The remains of a church, a monastery, gardens, cemeteries, dwellings, and other structures were discovered on the territory of the complex. These findings provide insight into the evolution of the abbey over the 800 years of its existence.

Researchers are particularly interested in the 1000 human burials found on the abbey grounds. Among them is a cemetery for infants who probably died unbaptized, as well as a parish cemetery for residents of a neighboring village.

The excavations also shed light on the life of the nuns. The researchers found 18th-century porcelain from China, which testifies to the wealth of the monastery. The remains taken from the latrines can provide information about the diseases the nuns suffered from.

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