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Unusual 17th-century military grave puzzled experts. But now, new clues are found

Unusual 17th-century military grave puzzled experts. But now, new clues are found

Miami Herald18-04-2025

Archaeologists in Germany recently uncovered a trove of artifacts from a 17th-century military camp — including some that shed light onto a mysterious grave.
Located on the outskirts of Nuremberg, the sprawling camp dates to the Thirty Years' War, a series of highly destructive conflicts that took place across the European continent between 1618 and 1648.
The camp was constructed by General Albrecht von Wallenstein of the Holy Roman Empire in 1632. Measuring nearly 10 miles long, it housed approximately 50,000 soldiers, 15,000 horses and an entourage of thousands more people, including jugglers and prostitutes.
After two years of excavations, conducted in 2022 and 2023, archaeologists are now revealing their findings, according to an April 16 news release from the Bavarian State Office for Monument Protection.
Mysterious grave
Previous excavations had turned up an unusual burial site on the edge of the camp.
Inside the grave — the only thoroughly examined individual burial site in the camp — are the skeletal remains of a young person, believed to be a woman, archaeologists said.
Interestingly, the bones are oriented in a lateral position, which is completely out of step with typical Christian burial customs.
A bronze ring was found on the deceased individual's left hand, and several pieces of clothing were recovered as well, archaeologists said.
A new analysis revealed that the garments were crafted with an elaborate technique using luxury materials, including silk, silver and gold.
These findings, archaeologists said, indicate the deceased individual belonged to the upper echelons of society. They suggested that she may have been the wife of a military officer.
But further details — such as the cause of death — may never be known, archaeologists said.
Other artifacts
The recent excavation also turned up an array of other artifacts that help paint a picture of daily life in a 17th-century military camp.
Among the pieces found were buttons, needles, silver wire, knives, scissors, and ceramic fragments, archaeologists said.
Additionally, a series of coins were unearthed, including Kreuzers, which were used by German states. Some were emblazoned with images of Maximilian I of Bavaria and Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III.
Further, archaeologists discovered fragments of lead bullets and deposits of metal wheels — which were likely safeguarded to prevent them from falling into enemy hands after the army left camp.
The Holy Roman Empire army did eventually move on from the camp, engaging in several skirmishes with the Swedish army stationed nearby.
The two forces met head on in the Battle of Lützen in November of 1632. The battle — one of the most important in the entire war — resulted in a Swedish victory, though it cost the life of Swedish King Gustavus Adolphus, according to Oxford University.
Google Translate was used to translate a news release from the Bavarian State Office for Monument Protection.

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Why Alpine Cheese Is Disappearing — and What We Lose If It Goes
Why Alpine Cheese Is Disappearing — and What We Lose If It Goes

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Why Alpine Cheese Is Disappearing — and What We Lose If It Goes

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American Baptist College president retiring after Nashville HBCU's 100th anniversary

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'(Fiction) allowed me to develop certain ideas around identity, around race, around belonging, around history that I think I would have really struggled to articulate in architecture,' she explained. After so much time away from the discipline, she was called back when she was asked to be an external examiner for the University of Johannesburg's graduate program. It was at a time when South Africa was undergoing profound change with the Rhodes Must Fall and Fees Must Fall movements, when university students demanded the removal of 19th century colonist Cecil Rhodes' statue at the University of Cape Town and refused tuition hikes — eventually securing a freeze on their fees. The student activist movement also called for the 'decolonization' and 'transformation' of higher education institutions across the country, where academia was a predominantly White space. (In 2012, White academics made up 53% of full-time permanent academic staff despite White people making up 8% of South Africa's population.) Lokko stayed on, becoming an associate professor in the university's department of architecture, which she remembers as having low enrollment and little diversity. The opportune timing meant the atmosphere was ripe for change, leading her to found a new graduate school of architecture at the university in 2014. 'Suddenly, the flood gates opened, and Black students started pouring into the school,' she said, the experience allowing her to develop a way of teaching that was relevant to Africans and post-colonial identities. But what made all these Black students enroll in a discipline that had been dominated by White students for so long? 'At a really basic level — having role models, having professors of color,' said Lokko. 'Female students would say to me: 'We'd never encountered somebody like you before.'' The enrollment numbers were also bolstered by her efforts to center the curriculum around student interests and the cultural context they were approaching architecture from. It was all part of a broader ethos Lokko uses to approach education, the job of which is, she said, to 'dream about possibilities for a future that's not yet here.'

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