Crucifixion is certainly a terrible method of execution. But historians say that most crucifixion victims were tied to a rope, not nailed to a cross, contrary to popular belief. Archaeologists in Cambridgeshire, England, stumbled upon a rare find while excavating a Roman roadside settlement: They found a skeleton about 1,900 years old, with a nail inserted through its heel, and it seems that the only explanation for this skeleton is crucifixion with a nail.
The skeleton belonged to a male between the ages of 25 and 35, according to the statement made by Albion Archeology, which made the discovery. His remains showed signs of poor dental health, arthritis, and thinning in his lower legs, suggesting he had an infection or inflammation or may have been chained.
“This is not the kind of thing you would normally look for, as a nail was found in a skeleton first unearthed in an archaeological dig,” project manager David Ingham said in a conversation with The Guardian. “We have a reasonable level of knowledge about crucifixion; We can read from the historical record how and where it was applied and when it was applied and so on. But actually this is our first concrete evidence to see exactly how it was applied.”
Twelve more nails were found around the skeleton, but the 13th nail had passed through his right heel, and there were traces of a shallow second hole that seemed to indicate that the executioners had failed in their first attempt to pierce the bone.
According to a statement by Albion Archeology, “While this cannot be taken as undeniable proof that the man was crucified, it appears to be the only plausible explanation – making it the fourth-most specimen to be recorded worldwide by archaeological evidence.”
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