A team of scientists has discovered in Cividale del Friuli the skull of a Lombard woman with two serious injuries: one from a knife and another from a blunt force blow. This find, dated 1400 years ago, is the first physical evidence of violence against a woman from that era. Until now, only laws punishing these acts existed, but without material proof. For the public, the case shows that gender-based violence is a problem with deep historical roots.
How forensic technology unearthed a medieval crime 🧬
The researchers applied computed tomography and stable isotope analysis to examine the skull. The marks on the bone revealed that the knife attack occurred while she was alive, while the blunt force blow was subsequent and fatal. The study of dentin and tooth enamel allowed them to determine her diet and origin, confirming she was a local Lombard woman. This use of modern techniques in forensic archaeology makes it possible to reconstruct violent events with precision, something unthinkable decades ago.
The first documented case of prehistoric domestic dispute 😱
It seems gender-based violence is no modern invention, but was already in vogue among the Lombards. The poor woman not only received a knife wound, but was also finished off with a blunt blow. Basically, what you'd call a heated couple's argument in 600 AD. Luckily, at least they had laws punishing it, though they came too late for her. The skull, however, has become the definitive proof that some habits are harder to eradicate than a bad internet connection.