“Ancient Mystery Unveiled: Gruesome Mass Grave of Dismembered Han Warriors Discovered Near Great Wall”
Uncovering The Story Of The Slain Han Warriors And The Fortress They Protected
In order to investigate the identity of the men in the mass grave, the researchers turned to analysis of DNA and isotopes in the bones.
By studying the DNA from 14 of the skeletons, the researchers were able to determine that they resembled populations from the Yellow River Basin in China. What’s more, the isotopes in their bones — which can offer clues about where someone grew up — revealed that the men in the mass grave did not come from the Mongolian Plateau. Unlike the nomadic Xiongnu, who ate mostly meat and dairy, the dead men’s diets consisted of plants and meat.
In other words, the men in the grave were likely Han warriors. Archaeologists believe that they were a squad of Han fighters who were attacked and dismembered by Xiongnu warriors some 2,100 years ago.
This lined up with the researchers’ hypothesis about the grave. As Kovalev told All That’s Interesting: “Execution by dismemberment was the most shameful form of execution for Chinese. [So] it is very unlikely that the Chinese themselves dismembered their comrades.”
Indeed, the researchers saw signs that the Han tried to care for their fallen men. They seemingly tried to collect all the pieces of the soldiers’ bodies to bury them together, hoping, perhaps, to allay the shame of dismemberment.
“[T]hose who buried these soldiers tried to make them feel good in the afterlife,” Kovalev explained to All That’s Interesting. “It is significant that all the small pieces of severed arms and legs, severed heads and other pieces of human bodies were collected for burial. In addition, they put a halberd and a cheekpiece, symbolizing their military service (most likely in the cavalry). As for the actions of the enemies, we clearly see the atrocities of the Xiongnu.”
