Skeletons unearthed from old site

Construction workers at Spaanskasteelplein in Ghent uncovered a 500-year-old medieval neighbourhood buried beneath the site of the former Spanish Castle.

The excavation revealed over 200 skeletons, stone church foundations, and household objects, including organic material preserved in a waste pit.

The district was deliberately destroyed in 1540 on the orders of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V after a rebellion against higher taxes.

The cemetery, with skeletons arranged in rows beside a church, is believed to date from the 13th to 16th centuries, reflecting a civilian parish burial ground.

The Spanish Castle was built after the destruction to control the city and was later demolished in the 19th century for the Sint Macharius neighbourhood.