A bizarre find in a medieval latrine: archaeologists have discovered the skeleton of a Barbary ape from the 15th century in Basel. According to the research, it was believed to be the pet of a city scholar. Traces on the remains of the animal tell a sad story: The monkey was evidently kept under excruciating conditions and simply thrown into the “toilet” after its death.
The construction of a park building in downtown Basel turned out to be a stroke of luck for archeology: the excavations accompanying the construction uncovered interesting traces of the city’s history – from Roman antiquity to modern times. The current discovery, which enables unusual insights into the world of the Middle Ages, is now also part of the finds. The site is the remains of a tower that once belonged to the inner city wall of the city of Basel. After it lost its defensive function due to the construction of the outer city wall, it was used as a latrine by the residents of the neighboring houses, explain the experts from Archaeological Soil Research Basel-Stadt. As they report, they came across the unusual bones during the excavations in the backfill of the tower.
Resting place of a dead monkey
At first they thought they were the remains of a child. But then, based on the characteristics of the teeth, they were surprised to find that this must have been a monkey. A closer examination of the skeleton by specialists from the University of Basel and the Natural History Museum finally succeeded in determining the exact species: it was a male Barbary macaque (Macaca sylvanus). The experts were also able to determine the age of the monkey skeleton based on numerous ceramic pieces in the find layer: It must have entered the latrine in the 15th century – probably during the time of the Basel Council from 1431 to 1449.
But what was this strange find about? As the experts explain, it was probably a pet. According to them, the keeping of small monkeys is already known from antiquity and a systematic import to Central Europe then became apparent in the 12th century. The archaeologists in Basel emphasize that there are very few remains of the animals from that time. Tradition has it that keeping monkeys in the late Middle Ages and early modern times was popular with clerics and scholars. In addition, they were sometimes performed by traveling jugglers. The animals were usually Barbary macaques because they got along quite well with the European climate. However, they were apparently anything but species-appropriate: in cages or chained and weighted, they had to eke out a sad existence, according to images of the time.
Medieval cruelty to animals
This is also reflected in the results of the examination of the skeleton from Basel, report the archaeologists. The animal was between five and eight years old when it died and was therefore not yet fully grown. Apparently the monkey wore a chain around its neck, showing signs of rust on the skeleton. Changes in the vertebrae also indicate that he could not move freely. His ground canines were particularly noticeable. According to the experts, there are two possible explanations for this: Either the keepers have deliberately blunted them to take the animal’s sharp bite or the monkey has gnawed at something hard out of “desperation”. In addition, the traces of healed bone fractures suggest that the animal was hit. The experts report that inflammation may lead to death, the traces of which can be seen on the elbow.
Based on the research results, it is not possible to say with certainty who the Barbary macaque belonged to, because the house at Rittergasse 24, to which the latrine belonged, often changed hands during the period in question. But there is a plausible candidate, the research showed: Heinrich von Beinheim (1398 to 1460) could have held the monkey. The scholar who was involved in the founding of the University of Basel lived in the area of ​​the site at the time in question, reports the team from Archaeological Soil Research Basel-Stadt. As the holder of important offices at the Bishop’s Court and the Basel Council, he had international contacts and the necessary change to get such an exotic pet, the statement said.