The existence of a cemetery in Lillemäe in Tartu, which most likely dates back to the 18th century, was already known to archaeologists before the excavations began. However, it has only now that the size of size of the cemetery has been established, along with the fact that, in addition to the 18th century graves, there are also medieval graves on Lillemäe.

"After the conquest of Tartu in the Great Northern War, many people came here from Russia –soldiers, their families, craftsmen. Everyone the new town needed to settle. They lived here in the suburbs and used this medieval cemetery as their burial place. Most of the burials are from the 18th century, but a few medieval burials have also survived," said bioarchaeologist Martin Malve.

The cemetery at Lillemäe predominantly contains single burials, but one common grave containing five or six young men has now also been discovered. According to Malve, they were most likely to have been soldiers who died in an epidemic. The dates of the burials is indicated by the Orthodox necklaces and coins found in the graves.

"There is a Russian denga (coin – ed.) from 1740 in the grave. This gives a good indication of the time of the burial. Orthodox necklaces – we have many different types. Beautifully decorated fronts, and in some cases backs. A very common find from 18th century funerals," Malve said.

Although the wooden coffins and artefacts at the site have been well-preserved in the graves, the acidic soil means that the bones are not in such good condition. The clayey soil also makes excavating the bones more difficult, according to archaeology student Lisett Heero, who is working on the site.

"The soil is quite muddy and clayey, which makes it a bit difficult to clean the bones. Once the skeleton has been taken out, it also takes some practice to clean the skeleton nicely and make it presentable for photos. But overall, it's a great experience," said Heero.

The next step will be to take samples from the preserved wood, bones and soil for analysis in the lab.

"We will learn about the health and diet of these 18th century inhabitants. As I work in palaeopathology and disease research, there are several possible cases of syphilis and a few cases of tuberculosis," Malve said.

"We can also learn about infectious diseases and maybe trauma, because there are some pretty serious bone fractures that have healed, so we can get an idea of the welfare, medicine and society at large," he added.

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