Stabbed by a blade during the barbarian invasions: the case of multiple perimortem traumas from an Italian Longobard cemetery (6th-8th c. CE)

Interpersonal violence reveals implications in behaviour, mobility, lifestyle and health of past human populations. These implications are even more visible when seen in relation to historical periods that were characterized by immigration or invasion, with the resulting economic, social and political instability. The archaeological evidence of the Longobard cemetery of Povegliano Veronese (Veneto, Northern Italy), brackets the cemetery between the 6th and 8th c. CE. Over 240 skeletons were recovered within the funerary area. Among them, there is the skeleton of a Longobard male aged 40-50 years, showing multiple perimortem injuries without signs of healing. Deep sharp-force traumas are located in the ventral portion of the 5th lumbar vertebra and in four right ribs, likely caused by a blade. From macroscopic and micro-CT observations, we could assess that none of these injuries show signs of bone remodeling or healing. This condition suggests that the sharp-force traumas were perimortem. SEM microscopy will allow to investigate the possible presence of metal remains of the alleged weapon. The case-study reported here sheds light on an aspect of Germanic immigrations from Northern Europe to Italy in the Early Middle Ages, while critically contributing to our understanding of interpersonal violence in the post-classical world.