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Research Article

Direct evidence of a large Northern European Roman period martial event and postbattle corpse manipulation

Mads Kähler Holst, View ORCID ProfileJan Heinemeier, Ejvind Hertz, Peter Jensen, View ORCID ProfileMette Løvschal, Lene Mollerup, Bent Vad Odgaard, Jesper Olsen, Niels Emil Søe, and Søren Munch Kristiansen
PNAS June 5, 2018 115 (23) 5920-5925; first published May 21, 2018; https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1721372115
Mads Kähler Holst
aMoesgaard Museum, 8270 Højbjerg, Denmark;
bDepartment of Archaeology and Heritage Studies, Aarhus University, 8270 Højbjerg, Denmark;
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Jan Heinemeier
cAarhus AMS Centre, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark;
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  • ORCID record for Jan Heinemeier
Ejvind Hertz
dMuseum Skanderborg, 8660 Skanderborg, Denmark;
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Peter Jensen
bDepartment of Archaeology and Heritage Studies, Aarhus University, 8270 Højbjerg, Denmark;
eArchaeological IT, Aarhus University and Moesgaard Museum, 8270 Højbjerg, Denmark;
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Mette Løvschal
bDepartment of Archaeology and Heritage Studies, Aarhus University, 8270 Højbjerg, Denmark;
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  • ORCID record for Mette Løvschal
  • For correspondence: lovschal@cas.au.dk
Lene Mollerup
dMuseum Skanderborg, 8660 Skanderborg, Denmark;
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Bent Vad Odgaard
fDepartment of Geoscience, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
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Jesper Olsen
cAarhus AMS Centre, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark;
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Niels Emil Søe
fDepartment of Geoscience, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
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Søren Munch Kristiansen
fDepartment of Geoscience, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
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  1. Edited by George R. Milner, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, and accepted by Editorial Board Member Elsa M. Redmond April 12, 2018 (received for review December 13, 2017)

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    Fig. 1.

    LiDAR elevation model of Alken Enge showing excavation areas, previously uncovered finds (www.kulturarv.dk/fundogfortidsminder/), and sand spits (42). (Upper Right) Maximum extent of the Roman interest zone during the Augustinian campaigns ca. AD 4–9. Numbered finds are listed in SI Appendix, Supplementary Information 14. Graphics assistance courtesy of Casper S. Andersen (Aarhus University, Højbjerg, Denmark).

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    Fig. 2.

    Calibrated age probability distributions of all human individuals from Alken Enge.

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    Fig. 3.

    Main excavation area with distribution of the human remains and selected artifacts. The contours represent the levels of the human remains, which, in the northern excavation, correspond to the surface of the sand-spit deposits. Gray shading indicates the location of the sand spits.

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    Fig. 4.

    Examples of structured find situations. (A) Four ossa coxae threaded onto a stick. (B) Lower limbs from two individuals together with further disarticulated remains. Reprinted with permission from ref. 24, with permission from Elsevier. (C) Find assemblages of femur, tibia and fibula, and two small stones. Photos courtesy of P.J.

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    Fig. 5.

    (Upper) Distribution of unhealed trauma. (Lower) Examples of trauma and taphonomic traces. (A) Sharp force trauma to the back of the cranium. (B) Penetrating trauma on the frontal bone. (C) Sharp force trauma on the posterior part of a left femur. (D) Punctures on the femoral heads, reflecting scavenging animals. (E) Furrows on the proximal joint of two femora, reflecting scavenging animals. (F) Spiral fracture on three femora, reflecting bone breakage by larger carnivores. (G) Sharp force trauma on the posterior surface of two femora. (H) Sharp force trauma on the proximal lateral part of a left tibia. (I) Parallel grooves on the iliac fossa of a right os coxa. Photos courtesy of Museum Skanderborg and graphics courtesy of Casper S. Andersen (Aarhus University, Højbjerg, Denmark).

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Direct evidence of a large Northern European Roman period martial event and postbattle corpse manipulation
Mads Kähler Holst, Jan Heinemeier, Ejvind Hertz, Peter Jensen, Mette Løvschal, Lene Mollerup, Bent Vad Odgaard, Jesper Olsen, Niels Emil Søe, Søren Munch Kristiansen
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Jun 2018, 115 (23) 5920-5925; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1721372115

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Direct evidence of a large Northern European Roman period martial event and postbattle corpse manipulation
Mads Kähler Holst, Jan Heinemeier, Ejvind Hertz, Peter Jensen, Mette Løvschal, Lene Mollerup, Bent Vad Odgaard, Jesper Olsen, Niels Emil Søe, Søren Munch Kristiansen
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Jun 2018, 115 (23) 5920-5925; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1721372115
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