Ancient Tale of Person Tasked into Well Authenticated by Archeologists after 8 Centuries
In an astounding turn of events, a group of archaeologists in Norway have identified a man who met his end in a well over 800 years ago as the very same person depicted in an ancient Norse tale.
The man, believed to be around 40 years old, was mentioned in the Sverris Saga, a narrative dating back over 800 years that chronicles a military raid in 1197. Historical records detail that during this raid, a deceased individual was thrown into a well. The current research team hypothesizes that this tale might be alluding to skeletal remains unearthed in southern Norway around a century earlier. Furthermore, it seems this individual hailed from a region of Norway with high levels of consanguinity, and his body may have been discarded into the well as a form of genetic warfare.
The team's research—published today in Cell—utilizes DNA testing and multiperspective research to highlight the incredible accuracy of DNA analysis and the value of interdisciplinary study. In this instance, the team utilized genomic examination to shed light on the identity of the infamous "Well-man" and radiocarbon dating to approximate the remains' age, which were first found in 1938 within a well situated on Sverresborg Castle's grounds.
"The man who was cast into the well in the Sverris Saga was entirely unknown—there was no information about him apart from the fact that he was a man and that he was deceased," commented study co-author Michael Martin, the study's senior author and researcher at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, in an email to Gizmodo. "The genomic data added some additional details—now we can share some insight into his physical appearance and his ancestry."
The speculation that the bones in the well belonged to the individual from the Sverris Saga first arose when the remains were discovered, but genetic testing was not yet available in 1938. The structure of DNA was not even understood until the 1950s. However, recent advancements in recovering ancient DNA (or aDNA) directly from remains have provided a wealth of information on population genetics, paleoenvironments, and even individual life histories. In 2014, co-author Anna Petersén, an archaeologist at the Norwegian Institute of Cultural Heritage research in Oslo, returned to the site to complete the excavation. By 2016, all of the Well-man's bones and teeth had been excavated.
As suggested in the 182-verse saga, the man was already deceased when he was cast into the well, which was subsequently filled with boulders. The body remained in the well for almost eight centuries, until it was discovered during the 1938 excavation.
The one-to-one match was made possible through analyses of ancient DNA extracted from the deceased man's teeth. The man's genome indicated he had blue eyes, fair skin, and blond or light-brown hair.
The team was even able to pinpoint the man's approximate ancestral origins: the modern-day county of Vest-Agder in southern Norway. Sverresborg Castle—the remnants of which remain—is situated in central Norway. The unique genetics of the southern Norwegians compared to other parts of the country were well-documented historically, but the Well-man's genome demonstrated the presence of genetic drift as early as 800 years ago.
The carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios in the man's bones, subjected to radiocarbon dating, yielded an age of approximately 940 years, with a margin of error of thirty years.
"Animals that consume a marine-based diet contain older carbon in their bodies, and the resulting radiocarbon dates need to be adjusted according to the proportion of marine-derived carbon," Martin explained. "After we estimated that 20% of his diet came from marine sources and applied the corresponding correction, the radiocarbon date aligned well with the expected date of the castle raid."
Making the necessary adjustments provided the team with a revised date range of 1153 to 1277 CE, with the Sverresborg castle raid in 1197 CE falling within the revised range.
The team is now focused on studying other historic Norwegians, such as Saint Olaf, who is said to be buried somewhere in Trondheim Cathedral. If the venerated Norseman were discovered, it would present a unique chance to delve into the genetic history of a saint.
The team's groundbreaking research in the field of science, published in Cell, showcases the potential of future technology in historical analyses. By utilizing advanced DNA testing and interdisciplinary study, they were able to unravel the mystery of the "Well-man," providing insights into his physical appearance and ancestry.
Moreover, this breakthrough in ancient DNA analysis can pave the way for future studies, providing valuable information about population genetics, paleoenvironments, and individual life histories, thereby illuminating the past and shaping our understanding of the future.
