Detailed Shattered Skull The Brutal Last Hours Of A Medieval Murder Victim

A battered skull discovered in the crypt of a mediaeval Italian church was used by archaeologists to reenact a horrifying incident that happened more than 800 years ago. The young man whose skull was discovered is believed to be a member of the affluent De Cittiglio family, which owned the property the church was built on, because he was interred in the San Biagio's main atrium.

Evidently, living a life of privilege was insufficient to shield him from a murder that he might not have have anticipated. Four significant lesions in the man's skull allowed researchers at the Universities of Siena and Insubria in Italy to reconstruct the man's attack's sequence.

Researchers can learn about an injury's nature, the direction of an attack, and even the sort of weapon that may have been used through physical examinations, three-dimensional digital microscopy, and bone CT scans.

According to the study, the initial assault in this case came from behind and only resulted in a small gash in the bone at the rear of the skull. It's possible that the young man was attacked unexpectedly and only narrowly avoided taking a deadly blow before attempting to flee.

The way the bone was broken indicates that only one assailant, with a long sword or other sharp metal blade, approached the victim from behind. The victim must have attempted to flee while being struck behind the head with lesion C, which would have been instantly incapacitating and likely halted or at least slowed down the flight. At that moment, the victim would have been aware of the attack and possibly unprepared for the fight.

The team comes to the conclusion that Lesion C would have very probably removed the man's right ear, resulting in a slight haemorrhage. It was probably not lethal. With two skull-cracking blows to the bones, there was little prospect of fighting back. Following the third hit, the lower back of the skull appears to have broken considerably more forcefully. He may have had the good fortune to pass out at this moment after being forced forward and onto the ground.

Lesion A, the last and most devastating blow, would have killed him. It entered the skull a few centimetres deep, undoubtedly inflicting serious haemorrhage and brain damage. Death was only a matter of time away.

The results provide a glimpse into life between 900 and 1170 CE in Medieval Italy. It also demonstrates the viability of employing skull injuries in forensics to reenact the demise of contemporary people. The individual who was discovered at San Biagio didn't appear to be searching for trouble, but it was obvious that he had prior military experience in general. His right shoulder displayed indications of frequent archery practise beginning at a young age, according to the authors. His skull's other areas likewise exhibit scarring.

Since there are no historical documents on this man, archaeologists may now have a clearer understanding of how he passed away, but the reason why will remain a mystery.