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Archaeologists are sometimes faced with gruesome discoveries, which reflect brutality, violence, sacrifice, or painful surgical procedures carried out in ancient times. Here we feature ten such findings that made the news this year.
Analysis of Medieval warlord mummy reveals death by poison
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Renaissance Italians who held power are infamous for intrigue, back-stabbing, power struggles, war and homicide, including murder by poisoning. In keeping with this theme, archaeologists discovered that the mummy of a 14th century Veronese warlord appears to have been deliberately poisoned with foxglove.
The man whose body was exhumed recently was Cangrande della Scala of Verona, who died in 1329. There were rumors he was poisoned, but his death in written documents of the time had been attributed to drinking from a polluted spring days after he made a triumphant entry into the city of Treviso. Cangrande entered Treviso on July 18, 1329. He became sick days later after suffering from vomiting, diarrhea and fever. He died at age 38 on July 22.
