Sandby Borg Massacre

This news story is only tangentially related to coins. But a Valentinian III solidus helps date the site of this sudden massacre. The CNN story also shows a number of lovely de luxe fibulae. It is speculated that perhaps this village had just a little too much gold that made it attractive for attackers.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/01/health/fifth-century-massacre-site-intact/index.html

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Thanks a lot for the link, mate!
The roman gold coin saying ´Hi´... (coool pic):

 

Thanks for posting this, Gavin. Fascinating article! The unburied dead raises lots of questions. It almost seems as though the massacre was an act of retribution more than a looting raid. The murdered may have been the last survivors of a clan and there was no-one left to bury the dead. Definitely a disturbing human tragedy not unlike instances of tribes of Native Americans in our country being murdered and left where they died.

 

A very interesting article. Thanks for taking the time to post the link.

 

Here’s a more numismatic focused account.
http://www.ancientpages.com/2017/10...-mystery-sandby-borg-massacre-swedish-island/

Here’s one speculation that Sandby Borg was home to some “unemployed Roman soldiers.”
https://arstechnica.com/science/201...age-fort-tell-a-story-of-a-horrible-massacre/

 

Very interesting @Gavin Richardson - a frozen moment in time and a terrible massacre.

 

wow.. thanks for posting.