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Cited by 123Archaeological and Geological StudiesArchaeology and ancient environmental studiesAncient and Medieval Archaeology Studies

The massacre mass grave of Schöneck-Kilianstädten reveals new insights into collective violence in Early Neolithic Central Europe

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Meyer, Christian, Lohr, Christian, Gronenborn, Detlef, Alt, Kurt W.·2015·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
DOI 10.1073/pnas.1504365112PMC PMC4568710
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Abstract

Significance: The Early Neolithic massacre-related mass grave of Schöneck-Kilianstädten presented here provides new data and insights for the ongoing discussions of prehistoric warfare in Central Europe. Although several characteristics gleaned from the analysis of the human skeletal remains support and strengthen previous hypotheses based on the few known massacre sites of this time, a pattern of intentional mutilation of violence victims identified here is of special significance. Adding another key site to the evidence for Early Neolithic warfare generally allows more robust and reliable reconstructions of the possible reasons for the extent and frequency of outbreaks of lethal mass violence and the general impact these events had on shaping the further development of the Central European Neolithic.

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  • A common feature of starvation periods is increased mortality among the most vulnerable individuals, primarily the elderly and children.

    “A common feature of starvation periods is increased mortality among the most vulnerable individuals, primarily the elderly and children58.”

    From Evidence of neolithic cannibalism among farming communities at El Mirador cave, Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain (2025) · cites this paper as [58]

    The Osteological Results describe the ages of people in a massacre grave, not mortality during starvation. The discussion of drought and reduced agricultural production in “Early Neolithic Mass Graves as Evidence for Lethal Collective Violence” does not say that starvation disproportionately kills elderly people and children. Searches for starvation, famine, and age-specific mortality found no passage addressing that claim; page numbers were not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.76)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Authors
Meyer, C., Lohr, C., Gronenborn, D., & Alt, K. W.
Affiliations
  • Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (DE)
  • LEIZA - Leibniz-Zentrum für Archäologie (DE)
  • University of the Witwatersrand (ZA)
  • Danube Private University (AT)
Corresponding author
Meyer, Christian
ORCID
Venue
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Publisher
National Academy of Sciences
Published
2015-08-17
Volume
112
Issue
36
Pages
11217-11222
ISSN
  • 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
  • 1091-6490
DOI
10.1073/pnas.1504365112
PMC
PMC4568710
OpenAlex
W2155958520
Cited by
123
References
2
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 1
FWCI
79.74
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Archeology › Archaeological and Geological Studies
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Archaeology and ancient environmental studies
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Archeology › Ancient and Medieval Archaeology Studies
Keywords
mass graves, LBK culture, Linearbandkeramik, Early Neolithic, collective violence, massacres, blunt trauma, arrow injury
MeSH terms
Warfare and Armed Conflicts, Adolescent, Adult, Agriculture, Archaeology, Austria, Child, Child, Preschool, Europe, Female, Fossils, Geography, Germany, Humans, Infant, Male, Skull, Violence, Fractures, Bone, Radiometric Dating, Cemeteries, Young Adult

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