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2,800-Year-Old Mass Grave Reveals Murdered Women and Children
24 Feb
Summary
- 77 individuals, mostly women and children, were violently killed 2,800 years ago.
- Victims were from diverse backgrounds, not related to each other.
- Personal items buried with victims suggest careful preparation of the site.
New research has illuminated a 2,800-year-old mass grave in northern Serbia, known as the Gomolava burials, revealing the violent deaths of 77 individuals. The victims, predominantly women and children, were killed through bludgeoning and stabbing.
Scientific analysis, including DNA studies and bone trauma examination, indicates that the deceased were not closely related and originated from various settlements. This challenges previous assumptions about group conflict as the sole cause.
Evidence of personal items, such as metal jewelry, buried with the victims suggests that time and resources were invested in their preparation. Experts propose this could signify a bid to assert dominance over land and resources.
The study highlights targeted, gender- and age-selective killings as a method of enacting mass violence and power assertion in prehistoric Europe. The findings were published in Nature Human Behaviour.
