Victim of an armed conflict? A case study of an adolescent with multiple perimortem trauma from an early medieval cemetery in Northwestern Bohemia

Joanna Witan; Barbara Kwiatkowska; Jacek Szczurowski; Milan Sýkora

doi:10.35686/AR.2024.238

Authors

Joanna Witan Institute for Preservation of Archaeological Heritage of Northwest Bohemia, Jana Žižky 835/9, CZ-43401 Most, Czech Republic; Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of West Bohemia, Sedláčkova 15, CZ-30614 Plzeň, Czech Republic https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6827-8162
Barbara Kwiatkowska Department of Anthropology, Institute of Environmental Biology Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, ul. Kożuchowska 5B, PL-51631 Wrocław, Poland https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3662-1821
Jacek Szczurowski Department of Anthropology, Institute of Environmental Biology Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, ul. Kożuchowska 5B, PL-51631 Wrocław, Poland https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4138-1749
Milan Sýkora Institute for Preservation of Archaeological Heritage of Northwest Bohemia, Jana Žižky 835/9, CZ-43401 Most, Czech Republic; Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of West Bohemia, Sedláčkova 15, CZ-30614 Plzeň, Czech Republic

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35686/AR.2024.238

Keywords:

violence, weapon-related trauma, skeletal injury, Bohemia, Dolany

Abstract

During rescue excavations at a rural cemetery in Dolany (NW Bohemia) dating to the 11th-12th century, the skeleton of a young male featuring numerous wounds (n=10) of perimortem sharp force trauma was excavated. Nine of the injuries were localised to the postcranial skeleton and one to the skull. An analysis and interpretation of the wounds showed that at least eight blows were inflicted with a slashing weapon, which could have directly contributed to his death. The observed pattern is most consistent with injuries inflicted during armed conflict. Based on historical sources, it is known that there was no warfare in the immediate vicinity of Dolany during the period under review. Therefore, it has been suggested that the male may have been the victim of a fight or battle, and his body was transported and buried in the place where he probably came from. The discovery provides new information on the funerary practices of victims of early medieval armed conflicts in Bohemia.

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