Archaeologists have uncovered the gruesome story of a mass grave from the Early Iron Age in Serbia. New research proves that the remains of several dozen individuals, primarily women and children, are not the result of an epidemic, as believed for half a century, but evidence of a deliberate massacre. The mass grave, less than three meters in diameter, in the village of Gomolava, points to a prehistoric power struggle in the Carpathian Basin.

Gruesome Discovery from Half a Century Ago

The mass grave was discovered in the 1970s in Gomolava, 70 kilometers northwest of Belgrade. It contained dozens of human remains thrown into a pit of small dimensions.

False Theory of an Epidemic

For decades, archaeologists believed the extraordinary number of children and women in the grave resulted from a plague that particularly affected these groups. New analyses have ruled out this hypothesis.

Evidence of Deliberate Extermination

Anthropological research and archaeological context point to brutal, organized violence. The victims were killed and thrown into a common pit during a single event.

Testimony of a Prehistoric Conflict

The massacre, dated to around 800 BCE, is linked to a period of instability and struggles for dominance in the Danubian and Carpathian region during the transition from the Bronze to the Iron Age.

At an archaeological site in the Serbian village of Gomolava, on the Sava River, a mass grave from the Early Iron Age was discovered, which had been misinterpreted for half a century. For decades, researchers believed that the dozens of skeletons of women and children thrown into a pit 2.9 meters in diameter and half a meter deep were victims of a plague. The latest analyses, including osteological studies and dating, have radically changed this narrative. They prove that a deliberate, organized massacre occurred there approximately 2,800 years ago.The Early Iron Age in the Balkans and the Pannonian Basin (c. 1200–800 BCE) was a period of profound social change, population migrations, and the collapse of older cultural structures from the Bronze Age. This region served as a bridge between the Mediterranean world and Central Europe.Scientific articles cited by the media indicate that the analysis of 77 individuals from the grave revealed almost exclusively women and children of various ages. The absence of adult men of productive and warrior age rules out the case of a random epidemic. "La violence de la scène reste profondément troublante" – writes "Le Figaro", emphasizing the gruesome nature of the find. "Esta guerra por el poder en la cuenca de los Cárpatos prehistóricos no respetó absolutamente" – adds "La Vanguardia", interpreting the event as part of a broader conflict for hegemony. Archaeologists suggest the massacre may have been an act of terror within struggles between communities for control over resources or trade routes. The victims were likely killed in a single, violent act, and their bodies thrown into a prepared pit. The uniqueness of this find lies in its selective character, which rarely occurs in archaeological material from this period. The Gomolava site lies on a strategic route along the Sava, connecting the Balkans with Central Europe, which could have made it a subject of disputes.77 — skeletons were identified in the mass graveThe discovery forces a reassessment of the image of peaceful Early Iron Age societies in this part of Europe. It indicates that organized, large-scale violence, including the extermination of civilians, was not foreign to prehistoric Central European cultures. This research constitutes an important voice in the discussion about the origins of war and violence in pre-literate societies. The publication of the results in renowned scientific journals lends weight to the discovery and opens a new chapter in the interpretation of the region's prehistory.