“The upper part of the skeleton was raised into the air trapped within the root system,” archaeologists Marion Dowd of Sligo-Leitrim Archaeological Services, said in a statement.
“The lower leg bones, however, remained intact in the ground. Effectively as the tree collapsed, it snapped the skeleton in two,” Dowd said.
Analysis of the bones and radiocarbon dating suggest the remains belonged to a 17-20-year-old man who lived in the early Medieval period, between 1030 and 1200 A.D.
At over 5′ 10″ in height, the teenager was taller than the average Medieval person. He was almost certainly from a local Gaelic family and is believed to have toiled in physical labor from a young age, as suggested by mild spinal joint disease in the skeleton.
The young man died a violent death, according to archaeologists. Two stab wounds, probably inflicted by a knife, are clearly visible to the ribs and the left hand.
“Whether he died in battle or was killed during a personal dispute, we will never know for sure,” Dowd said.
The man was given a Christian burial. However, it is not known whether he was interred in a graveyard or in an isolated burial.
“While historical records state the presence of a church and graveyard in the area, no above-ground trace survives and no other skeletons were encountered during the excavations,” Sligo-Leitrim Archaeological Services said.
Further analysis of the remains is currently underway.
From Discovery News
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