Human skeletons showing traces of violence discovered in disused medieval wells: two cases studied
Abstract
In Normandy, near Rouen, in Tournedos-sur-Seine and Val-de-Reuil, two adultskeletons thrown into wells during the Middle Ages have been studied. The wellsare located at two separate sites just 3 km apart. Both sites consist of clustered set-tlements inhabited from the seventh to the tenth century and arranged around acemetery. The backll of the well shas contains animal remains, but also partiallyor completely articulated human bodies. In Val-de-Reuil, the incomplete skeleton ofa man, probably representing a secondary deposition, had traces of a violent blow onthe skull, certainly with a blunt weapon. In Tournedos-sur-Seine, a woman thrownin headrst had several impact points and bone fractures on the skull that couldhave been caused by perimortem mistreatment or a violent death. Aer a detaileddescription of the two nds and a contextualisation in the light of similar publishedcases, we will discuss the possible scenarios for the death and deposition of theindividuals as well as their place in their communities.
