Analysis of osteological series from the necropolis of the 17th–18th centuries at the Corpus Christi Church in Nesvizh, Republic of Belarus

Abstract

Introduction. This article presents a comparative analysis of the bone remains from two parts of the necropolis at the Church of Corpus Christi in Nesvizh, Belarus. The remains were extracted from the crypt of the church (17th centuries) and the adjacent cemetery (18th centuries) between 2017 and 2019.

Materials and methods. Two series - 1) of material from the cemetery (skeletons of various configurations and individual bones) and 2) material from the crypt (scattered bones) were subjected to comparative analysis. The minimum number of individuals is determined by the largest number of bones of the same type: cemetery n=65; crypt n=98. The measurements were taken using the standard osteometric method. The reliability of the differences between the two groups was checked using the Student's t-test and visualized using a petal diagram. Additionally, there were signs of fractures and weapon damage on the bones. The percentage of damage was calculated as the percentage of total bones of the same type with damage.

Results and discussion. The size of most of the male bones from the crypt was significantly larger than that of the bones from the cemetery, as evidenced by the size of the hilt of the sternum, collarbones, shoulder blades and the proximal epiphysis of the humerus. This set of features indicates a large shoulder width in the skeletal remains from the crypt. This may be due to the high functional load on the bones of the upper extremities. The longitudinal dimensions of the proximal sections of the humerus and femur in the series from the crypt are also larger. This may indicate that the individuals buried in the crypt were taller.

Most of the transverse dimensions of the upper limb bones in the series from the crypt are larger than in the series from the cemetery, while the femoral bones in the series from the cemetery are larger. This may indicate different functional requirements for these parts of the skeleton. The number of traumatic injuries on the bones from the crypt is significantly lower than in the series from the cemetery.

Conclusion. According to the results of the study, representatives of different population groups are buried in two parts of the necropolis at the Church of the Body of God in Nesvizh. It is possible that representatives of the clergy from the Jesuit Order were reburied in the crypt, while representatives of the nobility from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth were mostly buried in the cemetery. This is confirmed by historical documents and archaeological finds. On the other hand, differences in physical development and the frequency of traumatic injuries can be explained by changes in knight's armor in the 16th and 17th centuries, which requires further study. © 2025. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license

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