6. 5. 2017 Skeletons of fallen Hussite warriors

Healed war wounds were discovered by scientists on skeletons in the ossuary in Žehuni. According to experts, they are warriors from the memorable Battle of Lipany, which took place in 1434.

This finding was made by a scientific team led by Professor Václav Smrčka from the Institute of History of Medicine and Foreign Languages at the 1st Faculty of Medicine of Charles University. They noticed typical damage on the bones, which probably came from Hussite weapons. The fact that the scientists discovered the skeletons of the fallen in the Battle of Lipany is also indicated by the location of the discovery and radiocarbon dating.

The scientists found 42 bones that appear to have been damaged by Hussite weapons. Specifically, for example, a plated flail. It was made by plating a flail that was commonly used for threshing grain. The wooden pestle was fitted with iron reinforcement and sleeves into which spikes or spikes were fixed. In addition, the threshing floor may also be mentioned. Usually the striking part was attached to the handle by a chain up to one metre long. However, there are different variants.

"In the most serious injuries, the distance between the individual spikes of the flails is clearly visible. In another part of the ossuary we also found injuries from Hussite crossbows and also injuries from a barrel or axe," Smrčka revealed what they found.

Some of the bones also showed injuries caused by other Hussite weapons. These include crossbows, barrels and axes. The archaeologists also looked at skulls found in the ossuary in Žehuň. Ten of them were subjected to CT scans. It was carried out by experts from the Radiodiagnostic Clinic at the General University Hospital in Prague.

And the result? According to the experts' findings, it is 95 percent likely that the bones really date back to the Hussite battles. Specifically from the period between 1408 and 1458.

"The examination even determined a 65 percent probability that the bones come from the period between 1420 and 1444, with the Battle of Lipany taking place on 30 May 1434. Therefore, it is very likely that the skeletal remains really come from this battle," Smrčka added.

We wrote about the Battle of Lipany here:
https://www.lovecpokladu.cz/home/30-5-1434-bitva-u-lipan-8038

To be as sure as possible of their findings, the scientists even sent the bones to the Radiocarbon Laboratory in Poznan, Poland. They found that the ossuary in Žehuna also contained the remains of fallen fighters from the Theresian Wars, which took place in the eighteenth century.

Sources: www.alumni1lf.cz, www.aktualne.cz, www.novinky.cz, www.wikipedia.org