Renaissance-Era Gallows Found Alongside Dozens of Skeletal Remains

Archaeologists in France have unearthed Renaissance-era gallows along with the remains of dozens of people executed there, per Ancient Origins.

The grim discovery was made in Grenoble, underneath the Boulevard de l'Esplanade. The site stems back to the country’s War of Religion, which saw the execution of many who defied governmental and religious authority. It’s located in a muddy area where the Isère and Drac rivers meet, and it was only when researchers with France's National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) noticed a large masonry foundation that excavations began.

Early on in the excavation process, scientists discovered ten burial pits located in a circle around the site. Some time later, researchers found documentation which confirmed that, from 1544 until 1547, the site operated as the Port de la Roche gibbet—the historic execution method utilized throughout Grenoble. Far from just being a site for execution, the gallows were designed for public humiliation. They were built with a large display platform made for hanging the bodies of the deceased, reflecting that the denial of burial was a fate worse than death itself.

Researchers Have Identified Some Victims

Researchers have so far been able to identify some of the executed as Benoît Croyet, a Protestant rebel accused of attacking Grenoble in 1573; and Charles du Puy Montbrun, the Huguenot military leader of Dauphiné who, after his capture by Catholic militia in 1575, was beheaded and displayed at Port de la Roche.

Eight massive stone pillars supported the timber framework of the structure, which stands approximately 16.5 feet tall. Pillars were used during the 16th century to denote how much judicial power a given territory held. Local courts were typically built with two pillars, while the royal gallows in Montfaucon, Paris, was built with 16. Grenoble’s number indicates a level of hierarchy enjoyed by the city.

Gallows Ceased Use in Early 17th Century

Grenoble completely ceased using the gallows sometime in the early 17th century, after the 1598 passage of the Edict of Nantes when religious tensions somewhat abated throughout the country. As Grenoble was expanded and eventually industrialized in the coming centuries, the former gallows became increasingly buried beneath mud and silt. INRAP researchers will continue to analyze the former gallows, as well as the skeletal remains found there, to determine more about the people who were executed in Grenoble during the Renaissance such as their diet, health, age, and circumstances of death.