Thread by @BiIndia

A pit full of 6,200-year-old skeletons is now the oldest known example of 'indiscriminate, mass killing'

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A man in a Croatian village was digging a foundation for his new garage in 2007 when he uncovered a pit full of skeletons.

#discovery #Archaeology

New research about the mass grave suggests the bones belong to 41 people - children and adults - who were killed together and buried 6,200 years ago in the modern-day village of Potočani.

#discovery #Archaeology

Many of the victims, had been stabbed in the head. After examining the bones and extracting DNA - a process that took years - the researchers concluded that most of the individuals in the 7-by-3-foot pit weren't related to one another, and that they ranged in age from 2 to 50.

"This is the oldest known case of indiscriminate, mass killing that we know of," James Ahern, an anthropologist at the University of Wyoming who co-authored the study, said in a press release.

#discovery #Archaeology

Thirteen of the skeletons had injuries on the sides or backs of their heads: The skulls showed evidence of being stabbed, cut, or bludgeoned. Some skulls had up to four puncture wounds.

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Given the pit's location, archaeologists first guessed they may have been victims of a World War II skirmish. But after dating the bones and some pottery fragments discovered nearby, the researchers determined all 41 victims were buried at the same time in 4,200 B.C.E

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One possible explanation for the mass killing could be some type of climatic upheaval. When the climate changes, resources like crops, livestock, and water can become scarce.

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Take the sacrifice of more than 260 Chimú children and 460 llamas in ancient #Peru, for example: Experts think the Chimú may have sacrificed children to placate angry weather gods during a season of heavy rain and flooding.

#discovery #Archaeology

Both climate change and population increase tend to cause social disruption and violent acts, such as what happened at Potočani, that become more common as groups come into conflict with each other.

#discovery #Archaeology