Over 800-year-old human skeletons discovered under busy Brussels street

People in Brussels recently learned that their streets had been hiding hundreds of human skeletons for years, some as old as 800 years. The discovery was made when work started to build tram tracks. Excavators dug up the area and found human remains. The archaeological department was then alerted, and they found at least 30 skeletons. 

Officials say that there might be many more skeletons deep inside the streets. The mass grave is said to be from the old Saint-Jean Hospital, established in 1195.

Ans Persoons, secretary of state for Brussels, informed about the discovery in a Facebook post on April 9. She confirmed that the skeletons belonged to humans who were treated at the ancient hospital and died. “Thanks to preventive excavations, 30 skeletons have already been cleared,” the translated post, originally in French and Dutch, read. 

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“During the work of the MIVB and urban.brussels archaeologists from VIVAQUA discovered remains of the cemetery of the former Sint-Jan clinic. Thanks to the yard, 30 skeletons could already be excavated,” she wrote.

Excavation of former hospital graveyard sheds new light on Brussels’ social history https://t.co/YSjNRPpE8t#Belga #Archaeology #Heritage pic.twitter.com/oBOKzCsQKW

— Belga News Agency_English (@Belga_English) April 10, 2025

‘Centuries-old cemetery’ found on tram site

 Brussels Intercommunal Transport Company (MVIB) and workers from the city’s public water operator VIVAQUA are working on the excavation. MVIB posted a video and said the “centuries-old cemetery” was discovered in the Regentstraat, in central Brussels. It added that the workers on site for tram tracks found the pile of bones.

Archaeologists say that the cemetery was used by people in the region “between the 14th and 18th centuries.” They think the mass grave will offer an insight into the life of people in Brussels during that time.

Europe is filled with ancient cemeteries, many of which have come to the surface in the past few years. In 2024, the largest mass grave ever excavated in Europe was found in southern Germany. Around 1,000 skeletons of plague victims were found in the city of Nuremberg. The discovery was made when the survey was being done to build new buildings. 

The same year, 50 Viking skeletons were discovered in Denmark.