Fifth Century Mystery Massacre

[merkavah12]

www.medievalists.net/2013/11/13/fifth-century-massacre-discovered-by-swedish-archaeologists/

Archaeologists in Sweden have uncovered the site where hundreds of people may have been killed in a brutal massacre. A team from Lund University and Kalmar County Museum have been exploring the remains of a ring fort on the southern island of Öland since 2010 and are now uncovering the remains of bodies that died violently.

They barely had time to make this announcement before the usual suspects began claiming that this is a 5th century slaughter of Pagans by Christians.

What are your thoughts on whodunit/why?

[ignorantianescia]

Nov 13, 2013 21:20:52 GMT merkavah12 said:

They barely had time to make this announcement before the usual suspects began claiming that this is a 5th century slaughter of Pagans by Christians.

Lol, that's even far too early for massacres against Pagans to be remotely plausible in Western Europe. Is anybody famous making this claim or just the usual comment trolls?

[timoneill]

Nov 13, 2013 21:20:52 GMT merkavah12 said:

They barely had time to make this announcement before the usual suspects began claiming that this is a 5th century slaughter of Pagans by Christians.

I can't see any comments on that article.

[sandwiches]

Evidently, the slaughtered lived at a time and in a location where they feared such possibilities and their defences proved inadequate?



www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/27344

The scene dates to the 5th century, the beginning of a transitional period after the decline of Roman power characterized by mass migrations of Germanic and eastern European peoples. The Migration Period (400 – 700 A.D.) saw a great deal of violence as populations clashed, and the ringforts on Öland (there are 19 in total) were built to defend small farming and livestock raising communities from raids. There was also something of a wealth boom on Öland during the Migration Period — gold and other expensive artifacts have been found in Sandby and other forts — which made it an ideal target for raiders.

One puzzling feature is that valuables appear to have been left behind.

[sandwiches]

www.thelocal.se/20131011/50726

Sweden's 'Pompeii' massacre baffles experts

But the vast caches of jewellery were untouched, leading researchers to believe the violent raid had nothing to do with wealth - and the attackers may even have been known to the victims. But whoever they were, they didn't leave any hints.

"We have no trace of the attackers," Victor told The Local. "We're not sure if they attacked during the day or night or how it came to be. We don't know if they came by water or land. We don't know if they were Swedes or Finns or Danes or anything else. That's the big question."

[merkavah12]

Nov 14, 2013 7:21:42 GMT ignorantianescia said:

Nov 13, 2013 21:20:52 GMT merkavah12 said:

They barely had time to make this announcement before the usual suspects began claiming that this is a 5th century slaughter of Pagans by Christians.

Lol, that's even far too early for massacres against Pagans to be remotely plausible in Western Europe. Is anybody famous making this claim or just the usual comment trolls?

I can't see any comments on that article.

To my knowledge, its just the average trolls on news sites/ forums where it's posted. Nobody famous.

[sandwiches]

Still, interesting to guess who the likely culprits were? People who were not interested in theft but apparently knew how to find the place and get in it? And who were ruthless once they got in? Neighbours with their nose out of joint? (Not that my own neighbours are not charming).

[domics]

As far as I know there there had been no Christianization of Sweden in the 5th century. The first mission in Sweden is dated in 829.

[sandwiches]

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2512665/Talk-having-neighbours-round-dinner-Scientists-site-DOZEN-Neanderthals-killed-eaten-single-feast.html

Group of cannibal Neanderthals 'butchered 12 of their neighbours including children and ate them for dinner', say scientists after discovering grim remains in Spain.

By analysing the stone tools used by the killers the scientists found that they had probably come from a few miles away, leading them to conclude that the culprits were probably neanderthals from a neighbouring group.

Neighbours eh?