Fosa común de Kilianstädten, Mass grave and archaeological site in Schöneck-Kilianstädten, Germany.
The fosa común de Kilianstädten is a burial site and excavation located in Schöneck-Kilianstädten, roughly 12 miles northeast of Frankfurt. The pit contains the remains of 26 people of different ages, deposited within a narrow, elongated space.
The burial dates back roughly 7000 years and connects to the Linearbandkeramik culture, an early farming society of the Neolithic period. The nature of injuries on the skeletons points to a violent end for the entire group.
The site name combines Kilian, a local patron saint, with the Old German suffix for settlement, though the burial predates any Christian influence by millennia. Researchers now use this location as a reference point for understanding violence in early farming communities across Central Europe.
The site was uncovered during road construction and now forms part of a research project examining early violence in settled societies. Visitors can learn about the scientific importance of the location, though no visible remains are accessible on-site.
Examination revealed that no individuals between the ages of 9 and 15 were found, a gap that raises questions about the composition of the group. The skeletons also show injury patterns that suggest targeted acts of violence.
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