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Archaeologists find bones from prehistoric war in Germany

Oct 9, 2008, 18:23 GMT

Schwerin, Germany - Archaeologists have discovered the bones of at least 50 prehistoric people killed in an armed attack in Germany around 1300 BC. Ute Brinker, student of the University Hamburg, presents the skeleton remains from the bronze age, which she examined for her master's thesis, during a press conference at the National Office for Cultural Heritage in Schwerin, Germany, 09 October 2008. EPA/BERND WUESTNECK

Ute Brinker, student of the University Hamburg, presents the skeleton remains from the bronze age, which she examined for her master's thesis, during a press conference at the National Office for Cultural Heritage in Schwerin, Germany, 09 October 2008. EPA/BERND WUESTNECKThe signs of battle from around 1300 BC were found near Demmin, north of Berlin. They are the first proof of any war north of the Alps during the Bronze Age, said state archaeologist Detlef Jantzen on Thursday. One of the skulls had a coin-sized hole in it, indicating the 20- to 30-year-old man had received a mortal blow. A neurologist said he was probably hit with a wooden club and died within hours. Scientists plan DNA tests on the remains, which were preserved in a peat bog, in a bid to establish if the victims were related or if they have descendants alive today. Jantzen said most remains were of men of fighting age, but some were of women and children. That means it is possible the attackers had sacked a village or taken residents prisoner and killed them.

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Archaeologists find bones from prehistoric war in Germany

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