The latest archaeological and forensic research sheds new light on the macabre discovery in the Serbian village of Gomolava. Instead of a presumed epidemic, analyses revealed traces of systematic violence against the defenseless. The grave containing 77 bodies identified only three men, while the rest were women and children, indicating the deliberate elimination of a group during the violent conflicts of the early Iron Age.

Exclusion of the epidemic theory

Modern forensic medical research confirmed traces of wounds inflicted by tools, instead of disease-related changes.

Selective massacre of civilians

The discovery of 53 children and 21 women suggests the deliberate destruction of the community's demographic base.

Absence of warriors in the grave

The presence of only three adult men suggests the defenders were absent or were abducted.

Desecration of remains with a cow

Throwing a dead animal into the human grave may have served to humiliate the victims by the attackers.

Research by a team of scientists from Heidelberg University and local curators in Gomolava has definitively refuted the hypothesis of a natural cause of death for the 77 individuals buried in a mass grave. Although the find, dated to around 800 BCE, has been known to archaeologists since the 1970s, modern forensic diagnostics revealed traces of perimortem injuries, indicating a brutal execution. The demographic composition of the victims – 21 women, 53 children, and only 3 men – suggests the attackers carried out a selective massacre targeting individuals responsible for the biological and social continuity of the enemy tribe. The early Iron Age period in the Balkans was characterized by profound social transformations and struggles for dominance over trade routes. The emergence of ironworking skills not only revolutionized agriculture but drastically increased the effectiveness of tools of war.Stratigraphic analysis and the lack of traditional grave artifacts confirm the thesis of a hasty and desecrating burial. The victims were literally thrown into a common pit, and the accompanying cow remains are interpreted either as an act of humiliation by equating the killed with animals or as part of an unknown ritual accompanying the massacre. Scientists point out that the absence of adult men of productive age may mean they were captured as slaves or were away from the settlement, for example, participating in a trading or military expedition. 77 — human remains were found in a common pit„Ce n'était pas un acte de violence aveugle, mais une élimination délibérée du cœur reproductif de la communauté.” (This was not an act of blind violence, but a deliberate elimination of the reproductive heart of the community.) — Dr. Marylène Patou-MathisThe discovery redefines our knowledge of conflicts in early prehistoric Europe, revealing the level of organization and ruthlessness of contemporary tribal clashes. Gomolava, located in a strategic bend of the Sava River, was likely a valuable prize for invaders, and the mass execution was intended as a clear message to terrorize surviving community members.

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