The view from the depths of millennia: how did ancient man killed in a strange ritual

Scientists have restored a man who was killed 8000 years ago when, presumably, the ritual of sacrifice. His head separated from his body and impaled on a wooden stake. Scientists have created a three-dimensional reconstruction of his skull without a jaw.

The skull and the remains of 11 people were found by archaeologists in 2018 in Sweden. Scientists believe that the burial was part of a religious ritual. Now the face of one of the victims was restored, thanks to computer technology.

The deceased men were sharp nose, high forehead, short hair and a bushy beard. At the time of death he was dressed in clothes from the skin of a boar and his chest was painted with chalk.

Skull men undergoing reconstruction

He was healthy and strong physically. But 8,000 years ago, and another 11 people, including a baby, were killed and dumped in a lake in Sweden. Over time the lake dried up. Their remains were found two years ago. All had multiple lesions on the turtles, and some separated the head from the body and impaled skulls on wooden stakes.

In addition, the dry lakes were found the bones of wild boars, brown bears, ROE deer, moose, and deer.

One of the pegs driven into the skull

In the middle and late Mesolithic (9-6 thousand years ago) in Scandinavia lived semi-sedentary hunter-gatherers, social structure and culture which are poorly understood. Still, the researchers found about 200 graves of this period. Basically it was an isolated burial; sometimes a few graves were found near each other.

So people lived in the Mesolithic

During the 2009-2013 excavations archaeologists found the remains of people and animals, and tools made from stone, bone and deer antlers.