Archaeologists uncover more than 1,000 skeletons in Copenhagen park

Archaeologists are excavating the remains of more than 1,000 people buried at a poor cemetery in the 19th century, DR reports. The dig is under way in Hans Tavsens Park, a park in Copenhagen’s Nørrebro district.

The remains are giving archaeologists insight into the city’s poor population and its history, said Olivia Persson, an archaeologist at the Museum of Copenhagen. She described the excavation as a “dream experience”.

The work is taking place before Hans Tavsens Park and Hans Tavsens Street are transformed into a connected green space. The redesigned park is also intended to collect stormwater from the neighbourhood and help prevent flooding in streets and basements during heavy downpours.

The Museum of Copenhagen has offered free tours of the excavation this week, and all were fully booked. Archaeologists say passers-by also regularly stop to ask what they are finding.

Most of the skeletons will be stored and examined at the Anthropological Laboratory. Some will be sent for analysis, including remains that are less well preserved, while the rest will be reburied in Hans Tavsens Park. The excavation is expected to continue until sometime next year.