Scandinavians hid violence victims beneath homes, study finds
Friday 9th October 2026 on 12:15 in
Estonia
Scandinavians in the Iron and Viking Ages did not bury all victims of severe violence in cemeteries. Some were concealed beneath house floors and yards, according to a study by UK researchers reported by ERR.
As part of the BODY-POLITICS project, researchers analysed the remains of 192 people from sites across Scandinavia dating from 500 BCE to 1050 CE. They focused especially on human remains found in wells, postholes and hearths, seeking to learn what happened to people denied customary burials by their communities.
Osteologists examined injuries on 12 skeletons showing signs of severe trauma, including cuts from sharp weapons and fractures caused by blunt objects. The team used radiocarbon dating and DNA analysis to investigate the victims’ ages, sexes and origins.
Most of those who had experienced violence were adult men, but the remains also included a toddler and two women. Their injuries included deep sword or axe cuts to the skull, while damage to several forearm bones suggested attempts to defend themselves. Some bones showed injuries that had healed, pointing to prolonged or repeated conflict.
The remains also indicated that many had endured hardship before their deaths. Their teeth and bones showed signs of malnutrition, chronic illness and severe joint damage, which the researchers said could point to low social status or physically demanding work.
The injuries suggest different kinds of conflict. Some were consistent with wounds from weapons used in battle, while the unusual places where remains were found pointed to other circumstances, possibly including domestic violence, community punishment or local power struggles.
The dead were often left exposed to the weather and predators for months. Later, selected remains, such as a skull or thigh bone, were placed beneath the foundations of new buildings.
Project leader Marianne Hem Eriksen and her colleagues said the findings shed light on violence and injustice in everyday life, an aspect often overlooked by research focused on elite burials. Some builders may have used victims’ bones as magical objects intended to bring luck and protection to a house.