Strange story: Woman found giving birth in grave after death
A pregnant medieval woman who died after brain surgery gave birth while buried in a grave.
The skeleton of a woman who "gave birth in a coffin". |
Researchers from the Universities of Ferrara and Bologna explain that the phenomenon of "birth in a coffin" occurs when the fetus is pushed out while the mother is dead and buried. During the decomposition of the body, a large amount of gas appears, condensing into the mother's uterus, causing the fetus to be pushed out through the vagina.
The skeleton the scientists studied was found alongside a fetus found between the pregnant woman’s legs. Based on the position of the fetus, the researchers concluded that this was a case of “coffin birth.” The fetus’s head and upper body were found outside the woman’s pelvic area, while its legs were still inside.
The medieval woman also had a 5mm hole in her skull. Scientists believe she underwent a medical procedure called “tretinotomy.”
This is the oldest surgical procedure, dating back to the Stone Age, and was used to treat pre-eclampsia. The team suspects that pregnant women may have undergone brain surgery for this reason.
According to details recorded in the study published in the journal World Neurosurgery, the woman lived for another week after the surgery, and was buried while still pregnant.
This is not the first time a “birth in a coffin” has been documented in archaeology. Last year, a similar case was discovered in a Black Death burial site near Genoa, Italy.