What is the most gruesome thing that someone had died from, that you have found?James Johnson (8)

Hi James,

A very gruesome question, it’s a shame it’s not Halloween!

As an archaeologist I have come across a lot of dead people but it is often very difficult to tell how the person died. All we have left is the skeleton and there are very few diseases that leave tell-tail signs on the bone; tuberculosis being one I can think of.

Sometimes, but very rarely, archaeologists find war graves where we can see soldiers that have met a sticky end. Some have arms, legs and even heads missing, having had them cut or blown off. However, I haven’t found anything like that…

I think I have to go back to early winter 2006 for my most gruesome find; I was digging on a quarry site in Norfolk when we came across a Bronze Age barrow. As we dug, we found Bronze Age cremations but we also found several inhumations (buried skeletons) within the barrow. Two of the skeletons were buried in one grave and another had its hands behind it’s back as though they were tied. This led us to believe the bodies were those of execution victims and that they had been hanged! I think they dated to the Anglo-Saxon period as Bronze Age barrows were often the focus for execution and burial in later times because barrows were, as Beowulf tells us, thought of as the houses of dragons and demons and so buried offenders would endure eternal torment from supernatural forces!

Hope this is gruesome enough, James!

Best wishes,

Phil