Skeletal evidence of crucifixion, a practice the Romans used for centuries as punishment, is exceedingly rare. Five years ago, there was only one bone that experts agreed was likely from a crucified person, who was buried in Israel. Now, a second bone from northern Italy is at the center of a new Smithsonian Channel documentary on ancient crucifixion airing tonight.
The first example of possible crucifixion comes from 1968, when excavations in a cemetery in Giv’at ha-Mivtar just outside of Jerusalem revealed a calcaneus or heel bone with a nail still piercing it.
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