Badger Digs Up Medieval Warrior Graves: 12th Century Burial Ground Of Eight People Uncovered In Germany By Intrepid Rodent, Stunning Archeologists
A badger uncovered medieval warrior graves, stunning archeologists. The badger dug his way to a 12th-century burial ground.
Archeologists in Germany report that a badger living near the town of Stolpe uncovered a remarkable find. The badger did their work for them, it seems, rather than having to rely on pick axes or old manuscripts and maps.
The badger dug up a 12th-century burial ground of eight people, two of whom were likely Slavic warlords.
Two sculptors who live there said had been watching a badger digging a large sett (den). They noticed something strange: there was a pelvic bone inside the den. "We pushed a camera into the badger's sett and took photos by remote control," Hendrikje Ring, one of the sculptors, told press.
"We found pieces of jewelry, retrieved them and contacted the authorities," he added.
The medieval warrior apparently went through some hard times. Archaeologist Felix Biermann said, "Scars and bone breaks show that he had been hit by lances and swords, and had also fallen from a horse."
However, he was a "well-equipped warrior", and wore a bronze buckle in the shape of an omega with snakes.
The warlord was buried with treasures including a two-edged sword and a large bronze bowl. The bowls "would be a sign that a man belonged to the upper classes ", Biermann said. "At the time, such bowls were used to wash the hands before eating," he said.
A nearby grave was found of a woman with a coin in her mouth. At the time, people were buried with coins in their mouth to pay a ferryman to take them across the river that separated the realm of the living from the realm of the dead.
The gravesite was robbed-someone seems to have taken a sword. This is evidence of conflict between different tribes at the time. There was a war between heathen Slavic tribes and Christians.
Archeologist Thomas Kersting explains, If someone went to this grave and opened it in full view of the local castle and took out the sword, that's a sign that something's not working anymore."
"It highlights the time of upheaval when the rule of the Slavic tribes was coming to an end."