A new investigation shows that William Shakespeare's skull may be missing. The revelation support claims made more than a century ago about the contents of the poet's grave in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon in England, but this is not the only case of stolen body parts.
The findings of the investigation came a month before the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death. This gives benefit to claims that his skull was stolen by robbers in 1794, when the practice was rampant among famous graves.
A British documentary titled, "Secret History: Shakespeare's Tomb," highlights some of the group's findings, including evidence of the missing head.
Radar Scan Shows Missing Skull
The team used a non-invasive ground-penetrating radar device to examine the writer's grave. The body was buried about 3 feet deep and had been wrapped simply with a blanket instead of being placed in a coffin.
The readings also show that the location of Shakespeare's head appeared to be disturbed years ago with the skull replaced with a loose material.
"We have Shakespeare's burial with an odd disturbance at the head end and we have a story that suggests that at some point in history someone's come in and taken the skull of Shakespeare," said Kevin Colls, an archaeologist from Staffordshire University.
William Shakespeare's lost skull is not the only famous stolen body part. Some graves of writers, scientists, leaders and other famous personalities have been tampered with, and their body parts stolen.
Maori Heads
Maori Heads spurred fascination among traders many years back. These ancient heads, which have been used in Maori practice as a way to honor the spirits of their forefathers, were stolen and seen in various museums.
In 2010, France's National Assembly pledged to return the mummified heads back to New Zealand.
Santa Claus' Bones
The famous St. Nicholas, the inspiration for Santa Claus, was one of the victims of body parts theft. During the Middle Ages, it was a famous practice to steal body parts of saints because people believe these can perform miracles. As a result, people hired robbers to steal bones from the grave of famous saints.
Benito Mussolini's Brain
In 1966, two decades after Benito Mussolini was executed, the United States gave part of his brain back to his wife. She was shocked to discover that part of her husband's brain was removed to be studied.
Several years ago, Mussolini's granddaughter claimed she saw an eBay listing of her grandfather's brain. She tipped off the police. eBay removed the listing.
Mozart's Skull
The famous composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, was also a victim of robbery. Joseph Rothmayer, a gravedigger, stole the skull of the famous Austrian composer a decade after his death in 1791. The skull was kept as a remembrance and has been handed down from one generation to another, until it was surrendered to the Salzburg Mozarteum Foundation in the early 20th century.
All Of Thomas Paine
Thomas Paine, a hero of the American and French revolutions, was buried with only six people attending his funeral. About a decade later, William Cobbett, Paine's fan, stole the entire body in the hopes of giving him a proper memorial.
Cobbett was not able to raise the money needed, so he kept Paine's remains in his attic. Although, after the death of Paine's fan, the body disappeared.
Photo: Salman Javed | Flickr
