Researchers just found the exact site of the Salem witch hangings

In 1692, 19 people were executed during the Salem, Massachusetts, witch trials. Until 2016, researchers weren't sure exactly where. As part of the five-year Gallows Hill Project, a team pinpointed the location of the hangings — Proctor's Ledge, which now overlooks a Walgreen's.

The hangings were long thought to have taken place up on Gallows Hill. Another man was executed, but not by hanging and not at Proctor's Ledge. He was crushed to death, The Boston Globe reports, and five other accused witches died in jail.

Now that the true site at the hill's base has been nailed down, Salem plans to put a plaque there.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

"This is part of our history, and this is an opportunity for us to be honest about what took place," said Mayor Kimberley Driscoll (D).