SCIENCE & TECH: Renaissance Gallows Unearthed in France With 32 Executed Victims

Archaeologists working in Grenoble, France, have made a chilling discovery that sheds light on the brutal religious persecution of the 16th century. The remains of a rare Renaissance-era gallows, along with at least 32 individuals who were executed and denied proper burial, have emerged from beneath the Boulevard de l’Esplanade. The site offers a haunting glimpse into the dark period of France’s Wars of Religion, when public execution served as both punishment and warning to those who dared challenge authority.

• The Gruesome Story of Tyburn Tree, London’s Infamous Gallows
• Grim Discoveries at Saxony-Anhalt Execution Site

A Gibbet Emerges from the Flood Plains

The excavation site sits on land gradually reclaimed from the flood-prone plains where the Isère and Drac rivers meet. For centuries, this marshy terrain remained on the outskirts of Grenoble, exploited for its sand and wood before eventually becoming integrated into the expanding city. Researchers from France’s National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) discovered a quadrangular masonry foundation measuring 8.2 meters per side, initially puzzling over its purpose. Surrounding this stone structure lay ten burial pits containing human remains in various states of disarray – bodies thrown carelessly without orientation, funerary rites, or dignity.