Archaeologists Discovered the Skeletal Remains of an Ancient Culture's Warriors

Yahoo

05-02-2025

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A trio of graves were uncovered in Germany during a dig for a new power line
The bodies' burial style, and the vessels buried with them, indicate that they were part of the 4,500 year old Bell Beaker culture
One body was buried with a still-preserved stone armguard, while another had arrowheads and indications of a quiver, suggesting the buried had been archers in their lifetimes
'Speak! speak! thou fearful guest!/Who, with thy hollow breast/Still in rude armor drest,/Comest to daunt me!' So begins Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem 'The Skeleton in Armor,' inspired by an actual armor-adorned Viking skeleton uncovered in 1863. It's an evocative image, a soldier's skeleton still dressed for combat. It gives a greater meaning to 'They died with their boots on.'
But these armor-adorned corpses can offer more than a chilling visage of wars long-forgotten. They can also offer crucial clues for archaeologists and researchers looking to better understand the past.
That was the case recently when a remarkable discovery from the Copper Age was made during an otherwise routine dig for a new power line. As Arkeonews reported, the infrastructure project uncovered a ten-grave cemetery in Förderstedt, Germany, that dates back 4,500 years.
Three of the burials have thus far been fully uncovered and found to be well preserved. 'A common burial mound covered all three deceased,' noted Susane Friederich, the project leader affiliated with the State Office for Heritage Preservation and Archaeology of Saxony-Anhalt.
The manner in which those bodies were buried offered insight into the identities of the bodies, in a general sense. The bodies were all found in a hunched position, and facing the east, a practice common in a people known as Beaker, or Bell Beaker, culture.
Bell Beaker culture gained its name from the type of container used to store food which was buried with the deceased 'for the journey to the afterlife,' a practice not dissimilar to the practice of placing resin or linen wrapped foods in tombs in Ancient Egypt.
One such Bell Beaker, roughly 15 centimeters in diameter, was found in one of the uncovered graves, with food still inside. Within another, they found a piece of armor that indicated not only that the deceased had likely been a warrior, but precisely what had been his weapon of choice.
A stone arm guard was found in the grave, measuring roughly eight by four centimeters. An arm guard is a protective piece commonly employed by archers to protect their bow arm, as the force of the bow string on upon release could otherwise injure an unprotected forearm.
In the third uncovered grave, more evidence of archery was discovered. 'The third grave is remarkably well-preserved,' Friedrich notes. 'In the back area of a warrior, two arrowheads were found. They were very close together. Additionally, a quiver was faintly outlined in the sediment.' The quiver, used to hold additional arrows for an archer, did not survive the thousands of years of burial, as it was likely crafted from organic materials. 'Only a different color and structure in the sediment indicate that the deceased was buried with his equipment.'
It should be noted, however, that while the presence of arrows and even armor can absolutely be seen as evidence that the deceased were warriors, it's also possible that such an archer could have also been employed as a hunter, using his weapon not for war, but to procure food. It's also possible both could be true.
Further excavation and investigation could offer a clearer picture, and that's precisely what the team intends to do. Arkeonews reports that the plan now is to excavate the graves entirely and relocate them to a laboratory for a closer examination.
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