Hear ye, hear ye! Groundbreaking moment in history occurring! The site of the hanging of the infamous nineteen (of the twenty-four) accused “witches” of the Salem Witch Trials (my favourite historical happening OF ALL TIME) has been officially identified!
A team of scholars, encompassing members of the Salem State University and University of Virginia faculties, have uncovered the scene of one of the darkest moment’s in the history of early America…and it’s behind a Walgreens. #howAmerican
By triangulating GPR (ground-penetrating radar), high-tech aerial photography, & historical witness testimonials, scholars claim for certain that the rocky area known as Proctor’s Ledge is in fact this long sought-after site.
Historical accounts of these tragic hangings suggested to past scholars that Gallows Hill provided the location for the witches’ deaths. But in reality, gawkers of this intemperate time in history would not have been able to see Gallows Hill, located just up the road from the site, from where their accounts were taken. So by comparing the topography of these accounts to the GPR findings (from which the 1692 topography can be deduced), UV professor Benjamin Ray defends his claim wholeheartedly.
Since 1936, this particular stretch of land has been owned by the city, at which time local historians and attorneys were purported to have defended Proctor’s Ledge as the actual execution site, despite overwhelming local legend. Salem, then, has dedicated itself to memorialise the site of this gross injustice, but in a tasteful manner likely to be in downtown Salem.
I’d now like to interject some commentary: The so-deemed “witches” of this hysteria were ostracised, feared, & rejected. Why, then, would it be presumed by past historians that these individuals would be hanged on the same gallows upon which non-witches were hanged? Despite the fact that everyone being hanged was determined guilty or evil in some respect & all were being put to death, magic & witchcraft were not to be messed or mingled with. The determination that the site of these deaths was located away from Gallows Hill seems to be an almost common sense assumption.
This would make more sense, though, if it weren’t for the lack of burials. Scholars determined that the soil of this region was not deep enough to have included the burials for these individuals (not that witches would receive any semblance of a dignified burial anyway), but wouldn’t it make sense to select a location separate from the usual gallows upon which to hang the witches & simply leave them there in death? This makes sense to me, the anthropology major, but whatever historians of days long gone.
So, on the coattails of this historic discovery, never let us forget the misfortunes of our past, the misgivings of our elders, & the sheer stupidity of early America. This is one of the darkest, ugliest, most radical, & most fascinating periods in our history, & now we are finally able to embrace the shame & appreciate change.
everyone sucks except you 