MORLAIX, FRANCE—The Miami Herald reports that an excavation at the site of a 700-year-old Roman Catholic convent in northwestern France, conducted by researchers from France’s National Institute of Preventive Archaeological Research, has uncovered remains of the church, more than 200 burials, jewelry, and religious devotional objects. The convent was established by the Dominican Order, known as the Jacobin Order in France, in 1238. The church dates to 1250, and was restored and expanded after a fire in 1344. Most of the burials in the church, which contained the remains of men, women, and children, were in single tombs, but joint tombs in masonry vaults were also found. One of these vaults held the remains of 17 people. Artifacts recovered from the burials include traces of wooden coffins; copper pins that were used to hold shrouds in place; rings; bracelets; rosaries made of wood, bone, stone, and glass; crucifixes made of wood, copper, and terracotta; a silk scapular with a silver wire; and a unique skull-shaped object made of bone. To read about excavations at the Convent of the Jacobins in Rennes, France, go to "Renaissance Melody."
