Ancient Swedish massacre unearthed

SANDBY BORG, SWEDEN — Archaeologists have discovered the site of a massacre that occurred in Sweden.

Research published in the journal Antiquity details a 1500 year-old attack on the ringfort village of Sandby borg on the south-eastern Swedish island of Oland. To date, three of 53 houses have been excavated and the remains of 26 people have been found, including children. One of these contained nine bodies.

Those remains included mostly male adults, three children and an infant were found inside.

They were believed to have been slaughtered by raiders or a fire. Elsewhere on the site shows evidence of an elderly man who had fallen over a central fireplace. Researchers say he was unconscious or dead when he fell. The remains of various animals a horse, sheep, and a dog were also found on the site.

Researchers found a plethora of weaponry including swords, spears and shields, as well as Roman currency and items. This part of Sweden was never part of the Roman empire, but was influenced by it. The study writes the massacre occurred during a period of great unrest and migration after the fall of the Roman Empire.

The study notes that those responsible for events at the site may have been trying to establish themselves as a new local ruling elite.