Skeletal remains of an 800-year-old warrior found in Norway: what is known about the "well man". Photo

The 800-year-old Scandinavian saga of King Sverrir Sigurdsson, based on real events, tells of the dumping of a dead man's body into a well during a military raid into central Norway in 1197. The researchers found the skeletal remains of a warrior known as the "well man".

According to the text of the saga, the body was thrown into the well to poison the main source of water for the locals. But until now, nothing was known about the warrior himself, CNN writes.

Researchers found the bones in the castle's well back in 1938, but then they were only able to conduct a visual analysis. Now, scientists have a number of analytical methods at their disposal, such as genetic sequencing and radiocarbon dating, which helped them learn more about the "well man."

The new study of the remains reveals unprecedented information about the appearance of the found warrior based on an in-depth examination of his dental samples.

"This is the first time that the person described in these historical texts has actually been found," said study co-author Michael D. Martin, a professor in the Department of Natural History at the University Museum of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim.

Revealing a historical figure

According to historical records, Bagler's army snuck into Sverresborg Fortress in 1197 through a secret door and burned everything inside. At the same time, it is described: "They took a dead man and threw him into a well and then covered him with stones."

Some of his skeletal remains were discovered in 1938. However, more bones, including a skull, were found during excavations in 2014 and 2016.

Investigations have shown that the remains belonged to a man who was between 30 and 40 years old at the time of his death. Scientists found blunt force trauma to the back of the skull, as well as two sharp cuts to the skull that likely occurred before his death.

Initial radiocarbon dating analysis helped the research team confirm that the remains of the "well man" are about 900 years old, which is consistent with the timeline in the saga.

The lead author of the study, Dr. Martin Ellegaard from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, used the tooth samples for genome sequencing. This allowed the team of experts to discover that the man found probably had a medium skin tone, blue eyes, and brown hair.

"The biggest surprise for all of us was that the attacking army threw one of their dead into the well," Martin said. That is, the invaders threw their own soldier into the well to contaminate the water and make the castle uninhabitable.

"Archaeological science, ancient DNA analysis and genetic analysis give us the tools to separate fact from fiction, which should eventually give us a more objective and complete picture of human history," Martin Ellegaard summed up.

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