Known as ‘Well-man,’ this skeleton was found at Sverresborg castle in Norway, and intriguingly, it even gets a mention in ancient Norse writings.
The Sverris saga, which tells the story of King Sverre Sigurdsson, describes a moment when a dead man was thrown into a well during a military raid back in 1197.
However, the description helped researchers figure out when and why this man met his fate in the well.
The skeleton was initially discovered in 1938, but at that time, the available resources were limited, so researchers could only examine a few bones.
In a recent study published on October 25 in the Cell Press journal iScience, they shared findings from examining the man’s teeth, giving a more detailed understanding of his life.
The ‘Well-man’ remained a mystery for yearsNorwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research
A breakthrough discovery
“This is the first time that a person described in these historical texts has actually been found,” said Michael D. Martin, a co-author of the study and a professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology’s University Museum in Trondheim.
He further explained: “There are a lot of these medieval and ancient remains all around Europe, and they’re increasingly being studied using genomic methods.”
These findings also help clarify why this individual became part of the Norse saga.
His reign included a succession battle with his uncle, and the saga provides many details about his life, from battles to strategic military moves.
Historians believe someone close to the king documented these events as they occurred, including specifics like names, locations, and strategies.
His opponents launched a surprise attack far away at Sverresborg castle, destroying everything inside.
The saga includes a line about the dead man, stating: “They took a dead man and cast him into the well, and then filled it up with stones.”
Thanks to his teeth, researchers were about to work out what he would have looked likeNorwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research
They estimated the man’s age at death to be between 30 and 40 years old, but the exact cause of death remains unknown.
What did the Well-man look like?
Lead author Dr. Martin Ellegaard, also from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, analyzed a tooth sample, revealing that the man likely had medium-toned skin, blue eyes, and blond or light-brown hair.
Dr. Ellegaard stated: “The biggest surprise for all of us was that the Well-man did not come from the local population, but rather that his ancestry traces back to a specific region in southern Norway. That suggests the sieging army threw one of their own dead into the well,”
He further commented: “However, showing that his genetic origin may have been in southern rather than central Norway, as was originally expected, changes our perception of the circumstances surrounding the decision of the victors to deposit this particular human carcass in the well. It opens up new possibilities for interpretation (for why the body was dumped) and allows for a deeper understanding and novel insights into stories we thought were largely understood.”
