Modern archaeological monument - Ossuary (Bone – deposit) on the courtyard of the church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Spišská Nová Ves
The 17th century bricked crypt, which secondarily served as an ossuary in the second half of the 18th century, represents a rectangular structure measuring approximately 6 x 6.5 m and almost 2 m deep. The rectangular structure is bricked with hacked sand stones sticked by a mortar. It is also divided in two tracts by small arcade with the original four arches. The vault stands on two section pillars. The room is divided by brick walls into smaller areas. The floor is bricked, divided by iron bars.
The monument has had at least two building stages. In the first one, a vaulted rectangular structure was probably built, to which the entrance was probably leading from inside the church. We qualify it as a crypt from the 17th century. Perhaps after its looting, since undoubtedly the bodies of the wealthy town´s lords lay here, the crypt was then used as a bone deposit (18th century). The original entrance was walled up and the brick walls were built. Since then, the entrance was made by sandstone steps standing on a brick vault above the previous entrance to the crypt.
According to the latest archaeological research in 2003, the backfill of this monument with human remains provided rich and various findings: simple founds of the Bronze Age, tiles, iron scissors, knife, spoon, buttons, earthen pipes and chessboard. Also several coins were found: silver shilling of Sigmund III. from 1624, copper cent of Francz I. from 1800, but also cent of Francz Joseph I. from 1851. On the completely preserved decayed casket, found under the preserved vault, the year 1810 was deciphered.
The ossuary belongs to the precious buildings not only within the Spiš region but also in the whole Slovakia. It has no parallel in the territory of Slovakia – right in front of today's main entrance to the church.
