‘Bodies were dropped down quarry shafts’: secrets of millions buried in Paris catacombs come to light
D eep beneath the streets of Paris, the dead are having their last word. They are recounting 1,000 years of death in the city: how many are buried in the labyrinth of tunnels that make up Les Catacombes, what killed them and how the diseases that may have led to their demise have developed over the centuries.
In the first ever scientific study of the site, a team of archeologists, anthropologists, biologists and doctors is examining some of the skeletons of an estimated 5-6 million people whose bones were literally dumped down quarry shafts at the end of the 18th century and beginning of the 19th.
“Astonishing as it may seem, there has never been any serious scientific study of the catacombs,” said Philippe Charlier, who is leading the project. “Our research is looking at 1,000 years of the history of public health in Paris and its suburbs, of the medicine and surgery people underwent and the illnesses they suffered.
“There are other ossuaries in the world, but this is probably the biggest so it’s unique. It’s the ideal place to carry out an anthropological and paleoanthropological study.”
