Medieval Murder Victim Identified in Scotland

News February 21, 2014

(Scottish Seabird Centre)
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Scotland Murder Victim
(Scottish Seabird Centre)

EAST LOTHIAN, SCOTLAND—Analysis of a 900-year-old skeleton of a young man buried at the site of the modern Scottish Seabird Centre shows he was stabbed multiple times in the back, left shoulder, and ribs. The BBC reports that after analyzing the murder victim's injuries, archaeologists say he was likely killed with a lozenge-shaped dagger almost three inches long, a type which was commonly carried by soldiers of the time. The accuracy of the wounds suggests the murder was not spur of the moment, but was planned and carried out with some professionalism. Wear on the shoulder of the man suggests he may have been an archer.

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