A Taphonomic Interpretation of the Postmortem Fate of the Victims Following the Massacre at Sandby Borg, Sweden

Abstract

In the ringfort Sandby borg (A.D. 400–550) on Öland, Sweden, remains of 26 unburied humans were excavated between 2010 and 2016. Several of the skeletons display traces of lethal interpersonal violence. This study pres¬ents taphonomic analyses of unburied bodies, a situation seldom encountered archaeologically. The depositional context allows us to investigate human taphonomy in interaction with natural agents both “indoors” and “out¬doors.” A set of various techniques, including documentation of preservation via zoning, weathering stages, frac¬ture analysis, and archaeothanatology, were applied to understand the perimortem and postmortem fate of the human remains. The results of the taphonomic analysis showed no indications of manipulation postmortem. Expected differences in preservation between in-and outdoor skeletons were not observed. Perimortem fire al¬terations were interpreted as the result of burning hearths and smoldering roofs. The analysis indicates that the bodies have decomposed in voids. New observations for “unconfined void” taphonomy are presented. The ab¬duction of limbs could be the result of bloating and, hence, indicate a primary deposit of bodies. Atypical lack of splaying of bones might be caused by decomposition in unconfined voids, possibly allowing quicker drainage of putrefaction liquids than in confined voids such as coffins. These observations suggest that processes behind decomposition in voids are not completely understood archaeologically, and might challenge interpretations of mortuary treatment from human remains. In der Wallburg Sandby borg (400-550 n. Chr.) auf Öland, Schweden, wurden die Überreste von 26 nicht bestat¬teten Menschen gefunden, die zu einem großen Teil Spuren von tödlicher Gewalteinwirkung aufwiesen. In dieser Studie werden die Ergebnisse taphonomischer Untersuchungen von nicht bestatteten menschlichen Überresten präsentiert, auf die man im archäologischen Kontext nur selten trifft. Diese Art der Niederlegung und Auffindung erlaubt es uns die Taphonomie von menschlichen Überresten unter natürlichen Einflüssen von sowohl ”drinnen—im Haus” als auch ”draußen—außer Haus” zu untersuchen. Mehrere unterschiedliche Methoden wurden angewendet um sowohl das perimortale als auch das postmortale Schicksal der menschli¬chen Überreste zu verstehen, darunter Dokumentation der bewahrten Knochenteile, Stadien der Verwitterung, Bruchanalysen und Archäothanatologie. Die Ergebnisse der taphonomischen Untersuchungen zeigten keine postmortalen Veränderungen. Die erwarteten Unterschiede im Zustand der drinnen und draußen bewahrten Skeletten ließen sich nicht bestätigen. Perimortale Veränderungen der verbrannten Knochen wurden als Resul¬tat von aktiven Feuerherden und brennenden Dächern gedeutet. Die Analyse spricht dafür, dass die Körper in Hohlräumen verwesten. Neue Beobachtungen von Taphonomie in ”unbegrenzten Hohlräumen” werden eben¬falls präsentiert. Die Abduktion von Körpergliedern kann auf Aufblähungen beruhen, und spricht damit für eine primäre Niederlegung von Körpern. Der atypische Mangel an verteilten Knochenmaterial kann durch die Verwesung in unbegrenzten Hohlräumen verursacht worden sein, und damit einen schnelleren Abfluss von Verwesungsflüssigkeit erlauben, als es in begrenzten Hohlräumen wie z. B. Särgen der Fall ist. Diese Ergebnisse sprechen dafür, dass Verwesungsprozesse in Hohlräumen archäologisch noch nicht vollständig zu verstehen sind, und daher die Deutung wie menschliche Überreste behandelt wurden in Frage stellen können.

The Sandby Borg Massacre: Interpersonal Violence and the Demography of the Dead

“…However, it cannot be established whether the latter unit of elements belong to the same individual as the cranium. The subsection of the house (House 40) where the individual was discovered contained several skeletons with partial postmortem disarticulation, likely to have resulted from the partial destruction of the roof following a fire associated with the assault (Alfsdotter & Kjellström, in preparation). SFT to the centre of the left parietal was identified, in lateral view the injury radiates right superior to left inferior.…”

“…Articulated and partially scattered skeletons of humans and animals (sheep, dogs, and pigs) were found within the houses. Macro-botanical and taphonomic analyses indicate that the ringfort was not revisited after the violent attack (Heimdahl, 2014, 2016; see discussion in Alfsdotter et al, 2018; for a taphonomic discussion, see Alfsdotter & Kjellström, in preparation). The commingled skeletal remains are predominant in an outdoor environment.…”

Social Implications of Unburied Corpses from Intergroup Conflicts: Postmortem Agency Following the Sandby borg Massacre

“…The handling of the dead in Sandby borg has been studied through taphonomic methods which led to conclusions of their peri- and postmortem fate (Alfsdotter & Kjellström 2018; in preparation). The skeletal remains show differences in taphonomy; the majority were partly or fully articulated inside the houses and disarticulated on the street.…”

“…In previous articles, the biological materiality of the dead in Sandby borg was investigated. This led to the conclusion that the corpses were not manipulated following the massacre, but seemingly left where they died (Alfsdotter et al 2018; Alfsdotter & Kjellström 2018; in preparation). In this article, I investigate the social response to the deaths in order to understand the contemporary implications of the Sandby borg corpses.…”

Not only the Tisa River basin. The martial activities of the Przeworsk culture peoples and their allies in the Roman Period

“…von Carnap-Bornheim 1999;2000Jahre Varrusschlacht 2009, the Batavian siege of Xanten in 70 AD, and ancient Gelduba -Krefeld-Gellep in 69 AD (Fischer, Moosbauer 2013, 55; with further literature; here also another event from 259/260 AD), the engagement at Harzhorn ca. 235 AD (Pöppelmann et al 2013), as well as the Migration Period massacre at Sandby Borg on Oland (Alfsdotter, Kjellström 2019). The suggested place of the Goths' victory over the Romans at Abrittus in 251 AD (Radoslavova et al 2011) seems to be doubtful, as in this case one deals with the material collected by amateurs, localized imprecisely, with a wide chronological range excluding the possibility to date the whole collection to 251 AD.…”