Archeologists have found unusual huge foundation ditches that ancient people used as "refrigerators" in Veliky Novgorod.
      
       Ancient Novgorod dwellers that lived in the 16th-17th centuries probably used them for storing perishable food, such as fish and meat, by putting them in ice deeply under the ground. The ditches were found in the first Doslansky Pit located in the north of the historical part of the city, close to the Intourist Hotel.
      
       Even foundation ditches 4,5 to 5,5 meters large took the entire eastern part of the pit. Scientists assume that thanks to those “spring stocks” ancient townsmen had significant amounts of nourishing food during the summer season. In the same pit archeologists have also found a medieval acropolis of over 50 individual and common graves. It is interesting to note that the height of the ancient people’s bodies found in the tombs does not exceed 150 cm. This circumstance is quite surprising if compared to the medium height of modern Russians.
      
       Source: newsliga.ru