In Portugal, the archaeologists unearthed a shocking discovery

Scientists have found graves of people with severed limbs.

Archaeologists who have worked in Portuguese mediaeval necropolis, found three skeletons of young men, before whose death was severed hands and feet.

Scientists believe the injuries were received as a form of judicial punishment of boys that lived in the city, Estremos in XIII – XV centuries.

The remains of mutilated men were found near 94 other skeletons identified in the necropolis since 2001. According to archaeologists, they were shocked to find people with such injuries.

“Arms and legs were placed near or under bodies,” – said co-author Eugene Coon. The study showed that the place of burial were present all the bones of the dead, which indicates perimortem amputation of the limbs. Archaeologists believe that the nature of the damage similar to those found in the tombs of medieval England, where he also practiced amputation of limbs as punishment before execution.

In the XIV and XV centuries, these penalties could be subject to thieves and counterfeiters, the researchers say.

“Maybe cutting off all the limbs was a punishment, which was used for the most serious crimes”, – said Teresa Fernandez, a co-author of the work. It does not exclude that people were executed for political reasons.

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