Evidence of Violence Uncovered at Medieval Fort in Poland

CZERMNO, POLAND—The remains of three people have been found within a medieval fort that is part of a larger Slavic settlement and trade center site in eastern Poland, according to a Newsweek report. Examination of the remains indicates that the individuals had died violent deaths. “At least one of them was lying on her stomach, so these were not intentional burials or graves,” said Marcin Wołoszyn of the University of Rzeszów, who has also been working to date the construction of the fort. “I hope that by this time next year we will already know whether the stronghold in Czermno was built in A.D. 800 or closer to A.D. 980,” he added. The settlement and fort are thought to have been destroyed when the Mongol Empire invaded Europe between 1240 and 1241. Dating of the skeletal remains will reveal if they died at that time, explained Tomasz Dzieńkowski of Maria Curie-Skłodowska University. To read about the capital of an independent state within the Mongol Empire, go to "Searching for Lost Cities: Palaces of the Golden Horde."