All slaughtered, but the gold left behind: An unusual atrocity leaves Swedish archaeologists baffled.
Heidelberg. Swedish archaeologists have uncovered evidence of a massacre that, even after 1,500 years, still echoes in local traditions. The finds at the hillfort of Sandby borg on the east coast of the island of Öland are both extraordinary and disturbing, as reported by Ludvig Papmehl-Dufay and his team from the Kalmar County Museum in the journal Antiquity.
Although excavations have been ongoing for three years, only about a tenth of the site has been uncovered. Yet it is already clear: the massacre that wiped out this wealthy settlement in the mid-5th century was unusually brutal, even by the standards of that violent era. The 26 victims found so far were beaten to death in their homes and on the streets, left where they fell — together with their valuables.
The excavation team discovered Roman coins, golden dress pins, glass and silver beads, and the remains of domestic animals that starved in their stalls. Neither the unknown attackers nor anyone else seems to have searched the site for valuables. The team suggests the place may have remained untouched for centuries.
The site’s sinister reputation was known even before the excavations began: locals warned that one should avoid the old hill by the water, according to The Guardian. The reason soon became clear: the roughly 5,000-square-meter fort is likely littered with human remains, including many bones of children and adolescents.
The dead literally fell on top of one another as they were killed with blunt weapons. Among the finds is the thigh bone of an infant only a few weeks old. Based on the estimated population, at least 200 more bodies may still lie within the 50 houses of the settlement.
None of the victims show signs of fighting back, suggesting they were surprised in their sleep by a large group of enemies. Weapons have not been found, apart from fragments of swords, which may have been carried off as trophies.
That remains speculation. What is certain is that the destruction of Sandby borg was an extraordinary event. Of the at least 15 ringforts on Öland at the time, none suffered a similar fate.
Equally unusual is that the site was not resettled or even disturbed afterward, despite the island being densely populated. For researchers, this catastrophe is a stroke of luck: after the massacre, time effectively stood still on the hill. The village was not even burned down but simply decayed as it had been in the last moments of its inhabitants — a Scandinavian Pompeii, only without a volcano.
Sources:
Comments
Post a Comment