The discovery of the skeletal remains of an entire army in the Alken Enge wetlands near Lake Mossø on the Jutland peninsula has justifiably been one of the archaeological finds of the year. It sheds fascinating light on the aftermath of the Battle of Teutoburg Forest - the battle in AD9 where Varus and his three legions were comprehensively defeated by Arminius and his Cheruscan warriors. Although some human remains have been found at the site in Germany, they are not in large numbers. Here, however:
The army beneath the bog may have been defeated and killed in a battlefield located far away from Alken Wetlands.
Hertz says that if this were the case, it must have been a massive logistical task for Iron Age people to transport the bones to the lake.
The researchers cannot say how this may have come about or where the battle took place. Many of the archaeological finds in the area stem from armies that came from afar.
But in principle, the battlefield may have been located right next to the sacrificial site. The sacrifice, however, occurred long after the battle.
“The bones have been sacrificed months or even years after the warriors were killed. We won’t know until the bones have been carefully analysed,” says the curator.
Full story here. Thanks to MA for the tip.
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