This book is a report on the excavation and analysis of a remarkable tenth-ninth century mass grave containing the remains of forty or more decapitated individuals of who grew up in Scandinavia. It is perhaps ironic that much of the funding for this project came from a Skanska a construction company of Swedish origin. The high quality of the production and analysis is a tribute to the various organizations involved and shows the ability of well funded contract archaeology to produce highly sophisticated interdisciplinary reports.
Although the report does not claim to be exhaustive the coverage of all aspects of the mass grave from excavation to osteological examination, isotope analysis and many other specialised forms of analytical study is extremely thorough. Although many parts of the book are extremely specialised good editing and organization makes the book as a whole readable and of much more interest to the general reader than might be expected. Certainly the book will be of interest to members of the various specialized disciplines represented including early medieval archaeologists and historians (Viking and Anglo Saxon), forensic archaeologists, osteologists and those interested in the archaeology of violence, death and conflict. However beyond these specific interests the book manages to convey some of the excitement of the discovery and the mystery of how and why the people were killed and buried in this way. The book could even serve as a case study for undergraduate archaeologists as it incorporates many of the elements required for archaeological interpretation.
The book is divided into five chapters with three appendices containing detailed analysis. Chapter 1 contains an introduction to the project as a whole and in particular the circumstances of the discovery of the mass grave during the construction of the Weymouth relief road. The first chapter also gives a good summary of the wider archaeological context of the find including Maiden castle which is within sight of the burial place which was originally a Roman quarry. Chapter 2 gives a detailed archaeological description including the circumstances of the discovery illustrated by some striking line drawings and photographs as well as a 3D rendering of the grave site (Fig. 2.6). The chapter also includes discussions of the positions of the skeletons, body position and orientation, as well as other finds from within the grave pit. At the end of the chapter there is a brief discussion of the C14 dating of the assemblage based on three skeletons which gives a combined date of 970-1025 AD. Chapter 3 provides the detailed osteological analysis of the skeletons dealing first with the skulls and secondly with the headless torsos. Of particular interest within the discussion of skulls was the dentition which was bot used as a general indicator of health and also to provide approximate age determinations. The upper incisors on one of the skulls contained incised horizontal grooves a dental modification which appears to have been fairly common in Viking age Scandinavia.
The fourth Chapter contains a detailed catalogue of the skeletons with a drawing of the individual skull or skeleton as well as a location plan showing the position within the mass grave. Skeletal traumas which are generally seem to have occurred around the time of death are indicated by red lines indicating the cut marks. The fifth and final chapter sets the mass grave within its historical context and includes a discussion of various weapon types which could have been used to injure and finally decapitate the men. The first of the three appendices comprises the results of soil analysis conducted in and around the skeletons- amongst the conclusions are that there was a considerable amount of faecal matter at the bottom of the grave and that the men may have had a high protein (meat?) meal within 48 hours of their death. The second appendix discusses bones not otherwise associated with skeletons and the third appendix contains the detailed results of the isotope analysis which indicates that the individuals originated from northern Europe.
Despite the thorough investigations which are detailed in this report much remains unknown. It is assumed that the individuals were executed next to the burial pit but the specific reason for the execution (captured raiding party, criminals slaves etc) is not known nor is anything known about the executioners. In Chapter 5 various further avenues of research are suggested including DNA analysis which could answer some but not all of these questions.
The illustrations are mostly colour, including line drawings, and are incorporated into the text at appropriate intervals. The frequent use of colour to identify particular injuries to bones or to pinpoint the location of particular bones within the general assemblage is very useful. Probably the most striking illustration is an imaginative reconstruction of the execution by the artist Mark Gridley which shows a group semi naked men being executed whilst others look on.