Archaeologists from the University of Oxford spoke about the extremely high level of violence in the major cities of medieval Europe. Scientists have found injuries on turtles found in English cemeteries dating from AD 1050-1550. The killings took place due to disputes between artisans who form the basis of the urban population. This is reported by the New Scientist edition.
In total, experts analyzed the condition of 399 skulls. Some of the remains were found in cemeteries at monasteries, where mainly wealthy people were buried in the Middle Ages. It turned out that 6.8 percent of the remains had violent injuries, and a quarter of them were incompatible with life.
Most often, the victims were representatives of the lower classes. According to scientists, this is due to the fact that the poor resolved disputes, often resorting to fights and violence, while the wealthier people used the legal system that was developing at that time.
Analysis of remains from other cemeteries from the Middle Ages showed that the level of violence in other European countries was also high. For example, in Croatia, 12 percent of the remains had blunt skull injuries. However, according to experts, murders in London occurred more often than in other cities of England.
Coroners' markings from the time indicate that most of the crimes occurred Sunday-Monday nights when the men were resting in taverns. Therefore, drunkenness is another possible cause of urban violence.
Experts note that rich people also resorted to violence, participating in knightly duels. However, they died from other injuries, since their heads were protected by helmets.
