Adelasius was buried in an expensive walled tomb and perhaps belonged to an intellectual class. He also had complete and wonderful teeth. At that time, people generally ate solid grains.
Adelasius Ebalchus lived in what is now northern Switzerland around 1300, centuries after the fall of the Roman Empire. Who was Adelasius Ebalchus and what can he tell us about life in the early Middle Ages?
Angela Kummer, director of the Gretchen History and Culture Museum, whose bones and face were reanimated and exhibited, says that Adelasius was a young man in his 20s who lived around 700 AD.
Adelasius is a descendant of the Gallo-Roman people, who lived in the area where German tribes settled on the Swiss Plateau in the 7th century. We have very little information about this period. Since people did not write in those ages, we do not have any sources. That's why we need to look at tribes, skeletons, and grave remains.
It's not clear who Adelasius Ebalchus was, but scientists believe he was important - his skeleton was discovered in 2014. Found in the town of Grenchen in northern Switzerland, he was found near 40 other bodies - but had a rock-lined grave, which suggests he was revered.
In fact, Adelasius' untouched tomb, covered with layers of rocks, was just one of 47 tombs excavated in 2014 in the town of Solothurn in the small province of Grenchen.
Kummer says:
“Adelasius was buried in an expensive walled tomb and perhaps belonged to an intellectual class. He also had complete and wonderful teeth. At that time, people generally ate solid grains. Porridge was their staple food, but because their mills were poor, their food was quite stony and most people's grinding teeth were destroyed. Although Adelasius's teeth were a little worn out by hard grains, they were free of cavities, tartar-free, arranged like pearls, complete, and very healthy. Moreover, Adelasius was extremely tall for that period, with a height of 173 cm. This shows that he had a childhood in which he was adequately nourished for his development. "Just what we can see from the bones is exciting."
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Facing up to Switzerland’s Roman past: Adelasius Ebalchus
https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/culture/grave-concern_facing-up-to-switzerland-s-roman-past/45005810