Dozens of Skeletons Discovered in an Island, Researchers Shocked to Learn a Brutal Massacre Swept Whole Community

For years archaeologists have been trying to resolve the mystery of human remains spotted at Sandby Borg in Sweden. The site was first excavated in 2011 and since then researchers have speculated many theories regarding the death of those Vikings. The collection has garnered so much attention because of a possible tragic context. In 2018, a study focussed on the remains and other artifacts spotted on the site was published in Antiquity. 

The 2011 excavations unveiled the remnants of dozens of individuals from the site, stated Fox 59. Further examinations indicated that the majority of them had received fatal attacks from blunt objects. The victims comprised of adult men, babies, and adolescents. Researchers found jewelry at the site which along with babies and children indicate that women lived in the settlement. This implies that either the women were forcibly taken away after the attack or evacuated the region before the ambush.

None of these individuals were buried and the remains were dated back to 1,500 years ago. During this period, the Viking community that inhabited the region was cremating their dead, as per researchers. However, analysis indicates that no one ever returned to the site to take care of these remains. The study claims that Sandy Borg was abandoned after the possible attack. There was no evidence of any further settlement in the area as valuables and livestock of the previous group appeared to have been left undisturbed. 

Researchers were fascinated by the site and its findings. "I think what makes Sandby Borg so special is the character of the archaeological source material, with unburied bodies of slain people of all ages and a 'frozen moment' character that you very rarely find in land archaeology," study co-author Ludvig Papmehl-Dufay, an archaeologist at the Kalmar County Museum in Sweden said. "I say 'land archaeology' since it almost resembles the situation that you would expect to find on a marine wreck site, where an unforeseen event created a time capsule of a specific moment. It’s a truly horrifying image that emerges from our excavations, but at the same time it gives us a rare opportunity to study aspects of violence and everyday life that we don’t normally see."

The period to which these remains belonged was marked by social and economic crises for the region. This perfectly aligns with the speculation that a mass attack was launched against the group that was then living at Sandby Borg. Some skeletons with the way they were found indicated that they had suffered an immediate death. For some like an adolescent, evidence pointed towards a slower death. There were also signs of charring which implied that a fire could have been set by the attackers.

For many experts the associated violence was overwhelming. "Already in the first year of excavation, back in 2011, it was realized that something terrible had happened that involved dead, unburied people inside houses in the fort," Papmehl-Dufay said. "The following year, 2012, it became clear that some of the dead were murdered, with clear evidence of sharp-force trauma. Of course, this did affect us, for some probably more than others. At least for me, it is really an emotional thing to excavate this place, especially perhaps when we find remains of kids and small babies."

Along with the human remains of 26 individuals, archaeologists also unveiled skeletons of dogs and horses from the Sandby Borg site. There were also several artifacts spotted at the site like bronze statuettes, glass beakers, and gold Roman coins. Analysis indicated that the coins date back to the early fifth century. The survey revealed around 1,000 stone house foundations, graves, cemeteries, and 15 ringforts in the region. These findings paint the picture of a bustling community that came to a halt after a catastrophic event.

Researchers are still at work trying to identify the perpetrators as well as the victims. "There’s a whole load of questions surrounding this site, some concerning the attack and the victims (and the perpetrators) and others concerning the ringfort, its biographical history (before and after the massacre) and its surroundings," Papmehl-Dufay said. "The project continues and as always, the more we dig the more questions will arise."