In a groundbreaking discovery, evidence suggests that women and children were intentionally targeted in the largest prehistoric mass murder ever found in Europe. The 77 victims, buried over 2,800 years ago, appear to have died from brutal violence.

This significant mass grave was unearthed at Gomolava, an early Iron Age site located in the Carpathian Basin of modern-day Serbia. The site is characterized by a man-made mound, known as a tell, formed through layers of debris accumulated over thousands of years of human habitation since the late 6th millennium B.C. Archaeological findings also include remnants of adobe structures, pottery, and organic materials.

Research led by Linda Fibiger and her colleagues at the University of Edinburgh analyzed skeletal remains sourced from cemeteries at the Vojvodina Museum in Novi Sad, Serbia, employing DNA and isotope studies to shed light on these ancient events.

Of the 77 individuals, 51 were identified as children and adolescents. Biological sex was ascertained for 72 of the individuals, revealing that 51 were female.

Initial assessments in 1976 had misattributed the cause of death to a pandemic; however, new analyses revealed unhealed injuries consistent with violent acts, including defensive wounds and projectile impacts.

“Many injuries were to the head, indicating forceful contact. The prevalence and nature of these wounds suggest intentional killing rather than accidental death,” Fibiger remarked. “This incident appears to be exceptionally brutal.”

The research team analyzed DNA from the remains of 25 individuals and studied the ratios of strontium, oxygen, and carbon isotopes found in the tooth enamel of 24 victims. This analysis helps reconstruct childhood environmental conditions and revealed that the individuals were often not closely related and had diverse diets in their youth.

“Most were not even related within the last 12 generations,” asserted Barry Molloy from University College Dublin, Ireland. He posits that the victims were part of a broader societal structure that shared cultural practices without necessarily forming close-knit groups.

This horrific genocide occurred during the 9th century BC, coinciding with the migration of nomadic pastoralists from the Eurasian steppes, while local populations were reestablishing old settlements and agricultural practices. Molloy highlighted the potential for conflicts over land rights during this transitional period, which could have led to such violent outcomes.

“The targeting of women and children suggests a different motive than what we typically associate with warfare,” Molloy explained. “It points toward a calculated strategy to assert control or quell dissent.”

There is speculation that perpetrators may have aimed to undermine resistance by killing young children, previously considered for enslavement, sending a strong message to nearby tribes.

Interpreting genocide is complex,” noted Pere Gelabert of the University of Vienna, Austria. “The Iron Age was marked by regional instability and conflict. Mass burial practices may reflect ritualistic massacres, focusing on women and children, or result from men being absent during such violent occurrences.”

Interestingly, the burial sites contained personal artifacts like bronze jewelry and ceramic vessels, along with animal remains and crushed stones, suggesting a careful and symbolic burial process. “This implies distinct groups carried out the killings and the funerals,” Molloy concluded.