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Ancient body fragments are like stories bound in pages. Most tell familiar tales, but a few rewrite history entirely. Rare discoveries expose secrets and provide evidence that certain legends were rooted in real events.
Grim discoveries seem to do this best. From massacres to dark rituals, mutilated handprints to sacrifices, researchers are getting an up-close look at the lives of ancient creators, citizens, murderers, and their unfortunate victims.
10. Offering 176
Tenochtitlan was an Aztec metropolis located where Mexico City now stands. The site has revealed marvelous archaeological treasures in the past but has also recently uncovered a somber discovery. One of the surviving structures is the Templo Mayor, a towering building at the heart of Tenochtitlan. This was a place where offerings, including human sacrifices, were made to their god Huitzilopochtli.
At the base of the temple was the skeleton of a young boy. Named 'Offering 176' by archaeologists, this child, estimated to be around 8 to 10 years old at the time of death, was not displayed like other sacrificial victims. Instead, he was buried with thousands of precious artifacts beneath the stone floor of the temple.
Curiously, his tomb was cylindrical. The purpose behind the collection of artifacts remains as mysterious as the reason for his sacrifice. It’s likely that the boy was offered to Huitzilopochtli in the 15th century, as he was dressed in a manner resembling the god.
9. The Baucina Skull
In 2014, archaeologists unearthed a tomb near the Italian town of Baucina. Inside, they discovered the remains of approximately 50 individuals. One skull stood out, positioned in a way that it faced the artificial cave and the other burial sites.
To learn more about the uniquely arranged skull, scientists employed modern analysis techniques. Their tests revealed that the skull belonged to a woman aged between 35 and 50. It was likely that her death, around 2,500 years ago, was caused by cancer, which had left 14 distinct gaps in her skull.
Unfortunately, no insights could be gained from the grave offerings. Tomb raiders had looted everything and scattered the skeletons. Although the woman's body was missing, researchers speculate that her head remained undisturbed, left in its original position by the thieves.
Two theories attempt to explain this burial. Perhaps the woman held a significant role in her community, or her illness left such a profound mark that it warranted a special funeral ceremony.
8. The Thames Mystery
Given London’s rich history, ancient skeletons are often uncovered within the city. The River Thames is no exception. In 2018, archaeologists working in the area discovered something extraordinary about a newly found skeleton: the 500-year-old man was wearing boots.
Finding boots from the late 15th to early 16th century is an extremely rare occurrence, especially on someone's feet. Furthermore, the footwear was unusual for its time. The boots reached up to the thighs and had turned-down tops.
The position of the skeleton indicated that the man had never received a proper burial. He was found lying on his stomach with one arm thrown over his head. The bones revealed no clear cause of death, but they did indicate that he had endured a difficult life.
Exceptionally strong and muscular, he appeared to be in his early thirties. However, a life filled with hardships had left him with a limp, osteoarthritis, and fused vertebrae. He had also sustained healed injuries, including a broken nose and blunt force trauma to the forehead.
The boots might hold the answer. They were ideal for mudlarkers—individuals who scavenged the River Thames at low tide. Perhaps, while searching through the mud, the man met with an accident. The boots were highly valuable, and a murderer might have taken them.
7. Young Retainer Sacrifices
In archaeological terms, a “retainer sacrifice” is a particular type of burial. Retainers were unfortunate individuals who were killed to serve as “grave goods” for the tomb of someone of higher status.
In 2018, a new study explored a discovery made four years earlier. At Basur Hoyuk in Turkey, the remains of around 10 people were found at the entrance of a 5,000-year-old Mesopotamian tomb. Among them were a 12-year-old boy and girl. In addition to being surrounded by the other skeletons, these two children were accompanied by hundreds of bronze spearheads—an extraordinary number.
Researchers are confident that the other individuals, aged between 11 and 20, were sacrificed. The way their bodies were dressed and arranged further supports the idea that they were part of retainer killings.
The mass burial raised several questions. While the two 12-year-olds seemed to be central figures in the group, it remains uncertain if they were also sacrificed. Alongside them, there were the remains of an adult, though this individual might have been part of an earlier burial. (The others were buried together.) The reason for performing the sacrifices at this specific location is also a mystery.
6. Man With No Hands
In 2017, the British islet of Chapelle Dom Hue made headlines when an unusual tomb was discovered containing the skeleton of a dolphin, buried in the 1400s. The true meaning behind the grave remains unclear.
In 2018, the islet surprised researchers once again. A damaged cliff revealed something unusual: toes sticking out from the soil. Upon investigation, the skeleton of a man was uncovered.
Initially, it was thought that the body belonged to a monk who had succumbed to leprosy. His hands were missing, and Chapelle had once been home to a monastic colony. The dolphin grave also dates back to this era.
However, the burial contained buttons that suggested the man's death occurred between the 1500s and 1600s, possibly indicating he was a sailor. The skeletal injuries, including markings on the skull, aligned with those of a body washed ashore.
Fish are known to feed on human limbs after drowning, but the man's footwear likely protected his feet from a similar fate. It's unclear why someone chose to bury him with such care when they could have easily disposed of him at sea.
5. Maimed Paleo Artists
In various European caves, ancient painters used their own palm prints to adorn the walls between 22,000 and 27,000 years ago. Interestingly, some of these prints show missing fingers or joints. Scholars have been divided for decades about the cause of this injury.
A 2018 study proposed the radical theory that these paleo artists intentionally severed their own fingers. In regions like France and Spain, 40 caves feature handprints, but only about seven show these peculiar mutilated palms.
The study's controversial theory is based on a surprising finding: deliberate finger amputation was widespread, with evidence found across 121 cultures on all continents.
Historical records reveal some of the reasons why people caused this harm. It was sometimes a form of sacrifice, symbolizing commitment to a group, marriage, or mourning. In many cases, it was a practical reason behind the mutilation of the pinkie.
This provided ammunition for those opposing the new study. The cave paintings do not follow the trend of pinkie mutilation. In one case, the last three fingers were 'maimed,' but this could have been the result of bending the fingers.
4. Stonehenge Killing
An archaeologist recently embarked on a project to write a book. In the process, he accidentally discovered a letter that led to the recovery of a lost artifact, or more precisely, a lost body.
In 1923, a human skeleton was discovered at the ancient site of Stonehenge. However, during the German bombings of London in 1941, the museum housing the skeleton, the Royal College of Surgeons, was hit three times. The 2,000-year-old skeleton was thought to have been lost in the rubble, but it mysteriously reappeared at the Natural History Museum, thanks to the letter.
Initially, it was assumed that the man had died of natural causes. However, upon examining the rediscovered skeleton, a different story emerged. Cut marks on the jawbone and fourth neck vertebra revealed that the 35-year-old had been decapitated with a sword.
The most likely scenario is that this was an execution, given that the fatal blow came from behind and the man was buried alone. Sadly, the exact reason behind his death may never be known. A plausible theory is that he was either punished for a crime or brought to Stonehenge as part of a sacrificial ritual.
3. Battlefield Clearing Ritual
Roman accounts depicted Germanic warfare as both brutal and strange. They not only engaged in massacres, but also performed grim rituals concerning the dead on the battlefield.
Initially, there was no evidence to support these grim reports or the idea of ritualized activities following battles. However, recent excavations at Alken Enge, a Danish battlefield from the Iron Age, revealed thousands of human bones. The state of these bones suggests that a brutal massacre took place nearly 2,000 years ago.
The brutality of the conflict resulted in the deaths of hundreds of young men. Once the fighting subsided, the bodies were left scattered on the battlefield. Marks from animal teeth indicated that the corpses had been exposed to the elements for up to a year. After this period, the skeletons were dismembered, with bones like the pelvis being tied together on sticks.
These discoveries offered the first evidence of organized battlefield-clearing rituals, including the act of crushing skulls. The remaining bones were discarded into a nearby lake. Surprisingly, they were identified as Germanic. However, the specifics—such as the tribe of the army or the perpetrators of the massacre—remain unknown.
2. Evidence Of Hasmonean Slaughter
Alexander Jannaeus, a Hasmonean priest-king who reigned from 103 to 76 BC, governed during a turbulent period marked by the Judaean Civil War, which pitted the Jewish Sadducees against the Pharisees.
During the conflict, the Jewish factions chose to confront their shared adversary. Both the Sadducees and Pharisees sought assistance from the Seleucid king, but their efforts were in vain. The Dead Sea Scrolls recount the revenge exacted by the Hasmonean king, who crucified roughly 800 individuals and executed many more, but not before killing their wives and children in front of them.
In 2018, archaeologists uncovered the first physical evidence of this brutal retaliation. Excavations in Jerusalem focused on an ancient cistern within a courtyard near the city's municipality. To their surprise, the dig revealed human remains that were dated to the period of the Hasmonean slaughter and showed clear signs of violence.
Men, women, and children had been thrown into the pit and covered with rocks. Cut marks on the bones pointed to a mass execution. The victims were stabbed, decapitated, and had their limbs severed. Tragically, embryonic remains confirmed that some of the victims were pregnant mothers.
1. Proof Of Grisly Legend
The Celtic tribes of Gaul were said to display the severed heads of their enemies, preserving them as trophies. Ancient writings also mention that the Gauls used cedar oil in this grim practice.
In 2018, scientists uncovered skulls from various species at an Iron Age village named Le Cailar, located in southern France. The positioning of the human skulls suggested they had been decapitated and publicly exhibited.
The remains, both human and animal, showed evidence of decomposition. However, only the human fragments contained traces of diterpenoids, indicating exposure to conifer resin. Researchers are uncertain whether cedar oil was used, as the tree was not native to southern France during this era (third century BC).
Outsiders may have mistaken a similar-smelling resin for cedar. While the legend was proven true, the details of the embalming process and its purpose remain unresolved.
It could have served a purpose beyond simply intimidating living foes. Ancient texts suggest this treatment was reserved for significant enemies. The notion of elite status raises the question of whether important local individuals also had their faces preserved for posterity.
