Date:

Uncovering a 5000-year-old family tragedy

Eight years ago, a mass grave was unearthed in the southern Polish village of Koszyce. The circumstances surrounding the 5000-year-old gravesite have been a mystery ever since.

The skeletons of 15 women, children and young men were found – each slain by powerful blows to the head. Yet, their bodies were neatly positioned alongside one another and with an abundance of gifts for their final voyage.

- Advertisement -

An international team, composed of researchers from the universities of Copenhagen and Aarhus and the Archaeological Museum in Poznan, Poland, used DNA profiles to demonstrate that the mass murder was that of a large, three generational family. Using genomic analyses, radiocarbon dating, isotopic analyses and archaeological data, the researchers gained detailed insight into a this Stone Age society and a grizzly occurrence some 5000 years ago.

“By analyzing ancient DNA from the skeletons, we were able to map each of the family relationships. We can see that mothers are laid next to their children and brothers side-by-side. Those who buried the dead knew them well. We also see that most of the fathers from this extended family are absent from the grave. Our suggestion is that they weren’t at the settlement when the massacre occurred and that they returned later, and subsequently buried their families in a respectful way,” says evolutionary biologist Morten Allentoft of the University of Copenhagen.

A period of transition

“We do not know who was responsible for this massacre,” according to University of Copenhagen archaeo-geneticist Hannes Schroeder. “But it is thought-provoking that it occurred 5,000 years ago, as the late Neolithic Period was transitioning into the Bronze Age. During this period, European cultures were being heavily transformed by Yamnaya cultures migrating from the east. It is easy to imagine that these changes somehow precipitated violent territorial clashes.

- Advertisement -

In relation to archaeological findings, archaeologist Niels N. Johannsen of Aarhus University adds:

“We know from other gravesite discoveries that violent conflicts played out among different cultural groups at this time. However, they have never been as clearly documented as here. All the violence and tragedy aside, our study clearly demonstrates that family unity and care meant a lot for these people, some 5,000 years ago, both in life and in death.”

International collaboration

The three Danish researchers underscore the importance of close collaboration among experts in ancient DNA (aDNA), archaeology, anthropology, and isotopic analyses in clarifying this 5000-year-old murder mystery. Marzena Szmyt, Director of the Archaeological Museum in Poznan, was equally enthusiastic about the interdisciplinary results from the international group of experts.

The new results, funded in part by the Villum Foundation and Aarhus University Research Foundation, have allowed genetic testing to “extend our insight into a particularly tumultuous period of European prehistory, significantly,” according to Szmyt.

FACULTY OF SCIENCE – UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN

Header Image – The bodies in the grave were placed neatly side by side and with gifts for their last journey. But all of the corpses bare marks on their skulls, that they were killed brutally. Now the mystery is solved. Reconstruction: Michał Podsiadło (polish artist).

- Advertisement -

Stay Updated: Follow us on iOS, Android, Google News, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, TikTok, LinkedIn, and our newsletter

spot_img
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan is multi-award-winning journalist and the Managing Editor at HeritageDaily. His background is in archaeology and computer science, having written over 8,000 articles across several online publications. Mark is a member of the Association of British Science Writers (ABSW), the World Federation of Science Journalists, and in 2023 was the recipient of the British Citizen Award for Education, the BCA Medal of Honour, and the UK Prime Minister's Points of Light Award.
spot_img
spot_img

Mobile Application

spot_img

Related Articles

Rare find offers new insights into ancient Dacian quarrying

A rare set of stonemason tools from the Dacian kingdom period has been discovered at Măgura Călanului in Hunedoara county, Romania.

Buried Buddhist treasures found in temple complex

The Fine Arts Department in Thailand has announced the discovery of a collection of ancient relics at the Wat Thammachak Sema Ram temple complex in Sung Noen District, northeastern Thailand.

Archaeologists finally gain access to a mystery chamber beneath Galician Castle

Archaeologists from the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine have finally gained access to a hidden chamber beneath Galician Castle, sealed for nearly 300 years. 

11th-century silver hoard unearthed in Saxony-Anhalt during forest restoration project

During a forest restoration project near Lübs in the Jerichower Land district of Saxony-Anhalt, a team of archaeologists have unearthed a large hoard of nearly 300 silver coins dating to the 11th century AD.

Prehistoric jewellery made from dog teeth discovered in Saxony-Anhalt

Recent excavations in Saxony-Anhalt have provided new insights into prehistoric burial customs, particularly the use of animal teeth as personal adornment and jewellery.

Major study transforms understanding of Roman Augusta Raurica

In advance of construction works in the "Schürmatt" district of Kaiseraugst, archaeologists have unearthed significant Roman remains in the former settlement of Augusta Raurica.

Traces of colossal statues among rediscovered Apollo Sanctuary

A sanctuary first excavated in 1885 by the German archaeologist Max Ohnefalsch-Richter has been rediscovered after details of the original find site were subsequently lost.

Hoarding provides new insights into Somló Hill people

A recent study published in the journal Antiquity has provided new insights into the people that inhabited Somló Hill in Western Hungary.