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Skeletal findings proving barbaric rituals performed by our ancestors
When Roman warriors slain on the battlefield, they remain for six months. Then came their killers - Germans - back to the scene and performed morbid rituals with their bodies.
Now there is evidence that such actions not only takes place on screen, but also happened in reality, albeit for a very long time ago.
Danish archaeologists made discoveries that testify utterly barbaric acts of the Germans , who lived in Europe for around 2,000 years ago.
Carried remains on stick
The findings show not only that many fighters were killed by the Germans in great battles, but also bizarre, new information about what happened to these corpses afterwards.
The Germans were satisfied was not merely to take the life of warriors and dispose of the bodies. At least six months after the warriors fell, the Germans went back to the battlefield and retrieved the bones.
They cut out the bones and remove any meat that was left. Then systematized the skeletal remains, including by making small cuts in them to mark them.
In the most barbaric cases took the pelvic bones of dead people and attached them to sticks that they carried with them.
Dumped into "sacred sea"
We drove on to the lake Mossø , where the bodies were dumped.
MADS KÄHLER HOLST - Mads Kähler Holst has led the excavation.
Mads Kähler Holst has led the excavation.
- The bones appear to have been carried out to sea, and pelvic bones at the logs were probably part of this transport, says project leader and lecturer in archeology at Aarhus University, Mads Kähler Holst, NRK.no.
- It is also found evidence suggesting that it was done other things with bones, including crushing.
The findings made by a big dig at Alken in East Jutland, Denmark. The excavation also received much attention two years ago when it was found many bones at the site.
The new findings, including pelvic bones at the logs, however, provides new insight and better understanding of the war destruction that took place around the year 0. At this time there was a lot that happened in Northern Europe. A violent clash between the Romans and the Germans were some of the things happening. This happened because of the Romans attempted to expand northwards.
Symbolic end to war
For long times, the barbarian barbaric acts have been the subject of debate among experts. Although it has long been speculated that they used the bones of victims of war for religious purposes, there has been little evidence.
Kähler Holst believes they now have strong evidence that it was just that that was the case - the bones were sacrificed.
- Probably has had a perception that the lake was a holy, divine place.
What kind of religious motives, or why the lake was considered sacred, they know, however, nothing about yet. Archaeologists believe that the dumping of the bones had a kind of symbolic value. A form of the graduation ceremony for the war.
This shows that it was important for the contemporary population - probably the victorious match - to get the bones of this place. It shows that the conclusion of the war was a significant event requiring special actions. This also involved a form of symbolic destruction or demeaning of the enemy, see Holst.
Norwegian archaeologist: - Very exciting
- This is a very exciting discovery, where you get close to one for us, very strange, bygone culture, says Professor of Archaeology at the University of Oslo, Britt Solli, NRK.no.
She says that at the time was no distinction between religious and secular (warlike) actions.
- Everything was woven together in a violent ritual expression. The meaning of it all is not known now. But the project is led by the talented Danish archaeologist Mads Kähler Holst, and when found inserted into the larger context, I am quite sure that we get to know more about the strange land called "the past".
- How common is it to make such findings?
- This is a sensational discovery. Human Skeletons and other organic materials are very well preserved and the archaeological context is unique.
This is material for analysis of both traditional archaeological character and new Science methods, such as DNA, isotope analyzes, and more, said Solli.
Aarhus University, who announced the findings on July 28, will finish this year's excavations on August 8.
EDIT: I found a bit of info in English about the same dig site:
