Subscribe now

Humans

Ancient Swedish massacre hints at chaos after the fall of Rome

By Colin Barras

25 April 2018

New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

The skeleton of a teenager found in Sandby borg

Kalmar County Museum

An ancient Swedish fort is beginning to relinquish a dark secret it has held for 1500 years – that its walls bore witness to a brutal massacre. Although it’s unclear exactly what motivated the apparently merciless attack, it was probably linked to the chaos that swept across northern Europe following the collapse of the Western Roman Empire.

Sandby borg on the island of Öland was an impressive ringfort in the late 5th century. Its walls stood 5 metres tall and enclosed a 5000-square-metre area that…

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers.

Sign up

To continue reading, subscribe today with our introductory offers

Popular articles

Trending New Scientist articles

Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop