Scientists examined human remains found at the bottom of an abandoned well in Trondheim, Norway. They determined that the skeleton belonged to a man who lived approximately 800 years ago and was possibly mentioned in the Icelandic "Sverrirsaga." DNA analysis of this individual revealed that he was genetically close to the population of what is now southern Norway. He likely had blue eyes, fair skin, and blond or light brown hair, according to a paper published in the journal iScience.
Sverri Saga is one of the Icelandic "royal sagas," dedicated to King Sverri Sigurdsson and serving as the primary source for Norwegian history in the second half of the 12th century—a period of political instability, rebellions, and civil wars. Among other things, this saga describes how Sverri's opponents attacked his fortress of Sverresborg in 1197, the remains of which are located in what is now Trondheim. They not only plundered valuables and burned the buildings, but also threw a dead body into a well to poison the water, after which they filled the well with stones.
In 1938, archaeologists exploring the ruins of Sverresborg discovered human remains at the bottom of an abandoned well. Between 2014 and 2016, scientists returned to the site and found new bones, which, combined with older finds, allowed them to piece together approximately 90 percent of the skeleton. Anthropologists determined that it belonged to an adult male who lived between 30 and 40 years and had sustained several injuries before his death.
In a new study, scientists from Denmark, Ireland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, led by Michael Martin of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, presented the results of their study of these remains. Radiocarbon dating showed a nearly 93 percent probability that the find dates to between 1153 and 1277 AD. This is consistent with the date of the attack on Sverresborg Fortress, so it is entirely possible that the skeleton did indeed belong to the individual mentioned in the saga.
Paleogeneticists then isolated DNA from the remains found in the well and confirmed that they belonged to a man. The researchers determined that he carried the mitochondrial haplogroup H2a2a1, which is currently found primarily in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. On his father's side, he was found to be a member of the Y-chromosomal haplogroup I1a1a3a1, which is currently found primarily in Scandinavia.
Further analysis of the nuclear genome revealed that the Sverresborg man falls within the genetic variability of modern Norwegians. Moreover, according to the scientists, he is very closely related to the population of the south of the country. Furthermore, the researchers used a program that predicts certain phenotypic traits of this man. He likely had blue eyes, fair skin, and blond or light brown hair.
We recently reported on an unusual burial site excavated about half a century ago in Belgium. Scientists analyzed the ancient skeleton and discovered that it consisted of the remains of at least seven individuals, most of whom lived during the late Neolithic era.
