Archaeologists in France have discovered dozens of Roman-era graves of men who were buried with

Curse tablet found in Roman-era grave in France targets enemies by invoking Mars, the god of war

submited by

Style Pass

2025-01-21 05:00:04

Archaeologists in France have discovered dozens of Roman-era graves of men who were buried with "curse tablets," at least one of which was written in an extinct language.

Excavations underneath an 18th-century hospital in the town of Orléans, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) southwest of Paris, have revealed more than 60 burials arranged in a single row along a wall. The cemetery, which dates from the end of the first century to the beginning of the third century, was atypical for this time because the burials were dug in a row, there were no women or children, there were traces of painted wooden coffins, and there were no cremations. This could mean that the dead were from a particular group, such as members of the same profession, according to the Orléans Archaeology Service, which excavated the site.

Also known by the Latin term "defixiones," curse tablets have been found throughout the ancient Mediterranean world. These thin sheets of lead were used to talk to the gods. Someone would write down a curse or wish, pierce the tablet with a nail, and place it in the ground via a grave or well.