Italian Plague Graves Found

Italian Plague Graves Found
Italian Plague Graves Found
Italian Plague Graves Found
Italian Plague Graves Found
Italian Plague Graves Found
Italian Plague Graves Found
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Italian Plague Graves Found
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A rectangular trench contains skeletons of victims of the bubonic plague on the island of Lazzaretto Vecchio, in Italy's Venetian Lagoon.

Workers came across the graves while digging the foundation for a museum on the island.

The oldest graves, dating back to the end of the 15th century, are long rectangular trenches. The skeletons inside are carefully lined and wrapped in sheets.

Later graves are nothing more than large holes where monatti, or corpse carriers, hastily unloaded their carts.

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—Photograph courtesy Venice Water Authority - Consorzio Venezia Nuova Archive/Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities - NAUSICAA Archive
 

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