1,400-year-old find: Lombard woman suffered two severe head injuries

Archaeologists have discovered a Lombard female skeleton bearing traces of two severe head injuries – one caused by a bladed weapon and one from a powerful blow. This provides the first direct evidence of interpersonal violence among Lombard women, calling into question the previously male-centric understanding of Germanic tribal warfare.

Approximately 1,400 years ago, a Lombard woman suffered two severe head injuries – one inflicted with a bladed weapon and one from a powerful blow. Now her skeleton proves something that changes historians' previous understanding of Germanic tribal military practices.

A unique find in history

The Lombards are known in history as a fiercely warlike Germanic tribe, yet all previous archaeological evidence of violent incidents comes from male skeletons. Skeleton T46, as scientists have named the find, is the first of its kind – direct physical evidence that Lombard women also participated in or fell victim to the violence of that era.

Two head injuries, two stories

Examination of the skeleton revealed two separate head injuries. One is characteristic of a bladed weapon injury, pointing to a deliberate blow with a sharp object. The second injury was likely caused by a powerful blunt instrument. Both injuries were serious, but the bone's healing marks show that the woman survived both – she was wounded, but unbroken.

This discovery challenges the previously dominant historical narrative, which suggested that Lombard violence was confined to men. According to researchers, the find suggests that women were more active participants in their society – whether in battle, conflict, or some other form of confrontation – than has been assumed.