Archaeologists badgering away in Lviv have discovered a 15th century graveyard at the very heart of the city. The cemetery has been earmarked as part of a Christian cathedral complex, and twelve graves have been unearthed thus far.
In the fifteenth century, Lviv was an immensely wealthy city on the Black Sea route. It was under the Polish crown then, and there were many thriving mercantile and artisan communities, including Armenians, Greeks, Jews and Ukrainians (Ruthenians).
A major fire leveled much of the city in 1527. Lviv recovered, but the majority of the city had to be rebuilt from scratch.
Archaeologists have also discovered some intriguing relics of the Austro-Hungarian era during their dig. Lviv fell under the Habsburg crown between 1764 and 1918, and experts have been exploring parts of what was the Imperial Sewage System. As of yet, no sorry souls have been discovered entombed in the brick-work, Tutankhamun style. But you never know what might be next on the list. Sorry, we're getting carried away and it's not even Halloween yet. Work continues in the subterranean gloom....
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