Lovers of Cluj-Napoca

The Lovers of Cluj-Napoca are a pair of human skeletons discovered in 2013 by archaeologists in the cemetery of a former Dominican convent in Cluj-Napoca.[1][2] The couple are believed to have lived between 1450 and 1550 - between the year the convent was established and the year the graveyard was secularised.[2] Analysis by archaeologists confirmed that the skeletons belong to a man and a woman around 30 years of age. The couple were buried facing each other, and with their hands interlocked.[3][4]

The Lovers of Cluj-Napoca holding hands. The male is on the right, and the female is on the left.

The male skeleton appears to have died due to a fight or an accident as his sternum is broken, caused by a blow from a blunt object.[5][6] Another archaeologist places the blame for the man's death on a broken hip.[1] The cause of death of the female is unclear from her skeleton. Archaeologists compared the couple to Romeo and Juliet, and explained that the woman may have died of a “broken heart” brought on by the death of her partner as both of them were buried at the same time. It is unlikely that she committed suicide, as that was considered a sin at the time and would have excluded her from being buried.[7]

See also

References
  1. "Buried Couple Found Holding Hands - Archaeology Magazine". www.archaeology.org. Retrieved 2019-11-25.
  2. Davis, Carlo (2013-04-22). "LOOK: Romanian Romeo and Juliet Buried Hand In Hand". HuffPost. Retrieved 2019-11-25.
  3. Lugli, Federico; Di Rocco, Giulia; Vazzana, Antonino; Genovese, Filippo; Pinetti, Diego; Cilli, Elisabetta; Carile, Maria Cristina; Silvestrini, Sara; Gabanini, Gaia; Arrighi, Simona; Buti, Laura (2019-09-11). "Enamel peptides reveal the sex of the Late Antique 'Lovers of Modena'". Scientific Reports. 9 (1): 13130. doi:10.1038/s41598-019-49562-7. ISSN 2045-2322. PMC 6739468. PMID 31511583.
  4. "Romanian archaeologists uncover medieval skeletons holding hands". io9. Retrieved 2019-11-25.
  5. "Romanian archeologists uncover Romeo & Juliet: medieval couple buried together with hands clasped". Romania Insider. Retrieved 2019-11-25.
  6. Worthington, John. "Skeletons of medieval 'Romeo and Juliet' found buried holding hands | Abroad in the Yard". Retrieved 2019-11-25.
  7. "Skeletons holding hands unearthed in Romania". Archaeology Wiki. 2013-04-24. Retrieved 2019-11-25.


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