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Who were the dead in the well? The results of a genetic study of mysterious skeletons found in Norwich, England, confirm that they were Jews who had apparently fallen victim to an anti-Semitic act of violence. Combined with radiocarbon dating and historical evidence, the six adults and eleven children likely perished in a pogrom in 1190. In addition to the forensic component, the study also sheds light on the origin of genetic peculiarities in Ashkenazi Jews, the researchers report.
The history of the investigation of the strange find in the eastern English city of Norwich dates back to 2004: during construction work in the center, the remains of an old well appeared, at the bottom of which archaeologists discovered the remains of 17 people. It turned out to be the remains of six adults and eleven children, apparently dead or even alive, who had been thrown into the well at the same time. A first radiocarbon dating of the remains placed them in the late 12th to early 13th century. So the archaeologists were puzzled as to who these dead could have been and why they had been "disposed of" in such an "unchristian" way in the perhaps dried-up well.
Jewish heritage signatures
It was possible that they were the victims of an epidemic, famine - or a mass murder. The first two explanations turned out to be implausible, but the evidence for an act of violence eventually became more and more concentrated. As part of their study, the scientists led by Ian Barnes from the Natural History Museum in London are now summarizing the results. In addition to the historical clues, her genetic analysis played a crucial role in solving the case. "It's been over 12 years since we began investigating who these people were, and technology has finally caught up with our ambition," Barnes said. "Our main task was to establish the identity of these individuals at the ethnic level." The team analyzed remains of genetic material from six of the skeletons from the well.
As they report, comparisons of the sequence data obtained showed that the individuals were almost certainly Ashkenazi Jews. This is a large group with roots in Central, Northern and Eastern Europe. It also showed that all the dead in the well were probably closely related. In the case of a dead man aged around three, the DNA analysis even revealed physical characteristics: the child apparently had reddish hair, which was considered typical of Ashkenazi Jews in the Middle Ages.
It also turned out that the deceased examined were already carriers of some genetic disorders for which today's Ashkenazi Jewish population is at increased risk. As the team explains, genetic peculiarities of certain populations can arise from "bottlenecks": when the population rapidly decreases and then reverses. The results point to a bottleneck that shaped today's Ashkenazi Jewish population even before the 12th century. So far, however, it has been assumed that this development only goes back to between 500 and 700 years ago.
Terrible scenes - probably in 1190
Two new radiocarbon dates were also performed on the bones as part of the study. They now refer more precisely to the time window of death: between 1161 and 1216 AD. The researchers report that the year 1190 is therefore a concrete possibility for an anti-Semitic mass murder: Historical records report on riots in Norwich in which the city’s Jewish residents were killed . The pogroms of this period are associated with the beginning of the Third Crusade, among other things.
As the team concludes, it remains unclear what exactly happened to the 17 people. But at least it now seems fundamentally clear that they were Jews and that their horrific end at the bottom of a well was the result of anti-Semitic violence.
Source: Cell Press, Article: Current Biology, doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.08.036