"Europe’s “oldest known battle” may have been massacre" Topic

…instead

"I'm glad I put a question mark on my first post about this story in 2011, because the Bronze Age mass-death site in Tollense, northeastern Germany, may not have been Europe's oldest known battle after all.

First a recap. Archaeologists have excavated more than 12,000 human bones in the Tollense River Valley since a humerus bone with a flint arrowhead viciously embedded it was discovered in 1996. The arrowhead dated the fatal event to around 1250 B.C., a date confirmed by radiocarbon analysis of later finds. Initial studies of the skeletal remains of 145 individuals that could be pieced together identified numerous wounds inflicted by long-range weapons (arrows, lances), blunt weapons (wooden clubs) and short-range melee weapons (swords, daggers). The bones also predominantly belonged to young males, some with healed wounds suggesting they had fought before and lived to do it again. Stable isotope analysis and DNA revealed that they were not all local. Artifacts found at the site confirmed an armed clash had taken place. Dozens of weapons were found — more than 50 bronze arrowheads, swords, clubs, an axe. The skeletal remains of several horses were also unearthed from the riverbed…"

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Amicalement
Armand

Fascinating. It sees to me that the difference between an ambush and a battle is splitting hairs. in either case, the losers found themselves at the mercy of the victors and were cut down as they ran.

Many ancient and medieval battles ended in what some of us would call massacres. When discipline broke down and men tried to save themselves they usually broke and ran and where run down by enemy cavalry as they fled. Many historians believe that this it was at this point that the real carnage took place.

Battle or massacre it appears that over one hundred people were killed. Dead is dead no matter how it was done.

Glad you enjoyed it my friend! (smile)

Amicalement
Armand