‘Disturbing’ mass grave reveals entire families ‘massacred’ by skull-smashing invaders while dads were away from village 5,000 years ago
New DNA analysis has revealed that the victims were all related
ARCHAEOLOGISTS have discovered that a 5,000 year old mass grave site was the result of a tragic family massacre.
The burial site in Poland contains the bodies of men, women and children who all had their skulls smashed to pieces.
The mass grave was actually uncovered back in 2011 but recent analysis of DNA from the Bronze Age skeletons has provided a new perspective on what happened to the victims.
This fresh DNA analysis revealed that all of the skeletons in the grave were related and mothers have been carefully buried cradling their children.
As the grave does not have any fathers in it and only contains a small number of male bodies, the researchers think that the family was murdered whilst the fathers were away from the village.
They may have also been responsible for burying their loved ones when they returned as whoever created the grave clearly made sure that the bodies were buried according to their closest family relationships.
Grave goods at the site suggest that the people belonged to the Globular Amphora community.
This community was prevalent in Europe around 5,000 years ago and may have violently clashed with other groups moving across similar regions of the European Bronze Age landscape, such as the Corded Ware Community who were potential rivals.
Archaeologist and one of the researchers on the project Morten E. Allen told us: "The DNA determined the exact family ties of all these individuals. This is the first time we have been able to get such level of detailed genomic insight into a prehistoric community.
"The discovery is important because we can get really detailed insights into a prehistoric community and show how they were organised socially and culturally.
"Clearly all these people were related in an extended family and nuclear family ties were very important, both in life and death. They were positioned in the grave according to these relationships."
This research has been published in .
Who were the Globular Amphora community?
Here's what you need to know about this Bronze age group...
- The Bronze Age is a historical period that occured around 3000 BC – 1200 BC
- During a significant amount of this time period it is thought that some of the ancient people in central Europe followed the Globular Amphora Culture
- This culture is characterised by rounded globular pottery with two handles, often reffered to as amphoras, which were used for storing and transporting products
- The Globular Amphora Community is thought to have existed between 3400 – 2800 BC
- These people had an economy that was based on raising and trading livestock, with a preference for pigs in particular
- Animals and pottery were often buried with these people and that's how archaeologists find out more about them
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