DNA analysis links medieval skeleton found in well to events in the Sverris Saga

An ancient DNA analysis of skeletal remains found in a well at Norway's Sverresborg Castle has corroborated an 800-year-old story from the Sverris Saga, shedding new light on medieval history. The study, published on October 25 in the journal iScience, reveals that the remains, known as the "Well-man," are likely those of an individual mentioned in the saga, providing a unique connection between historical texts and modern scientific findings.

Researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, including Professor Michael D. Martin and Dr. Martin Rene Ellegaard, used genomic tools and ancient DNA analysis to examine the Well-man's past. They extracted DNA from a tooth found among the remains, allowing them to sequence the man's genome despite the poor preservation of DNA in the bones.

Radiocarbon dating confirmed that the individual died around 1197, aligning with the period described in the Sverris Saga. The saga recounts that during a raid on Sverresborg Castle near Trondheim, attackers threw a dead man into the well to poison the main water source. This incident is mentioned briefly in the text: "They cast a dead man into a well, and then filled it up with stones."

The DNA analysis revealed that the Well-man had blue eyes, fair skin, and blonde or light brown hair. His ancestry traces back to the southernmost part of Norway, specifically the current province of Vest-Agder. This finding was significant because it suggests that the man may have been one of the attackers, known as the Baglers, who hailed from southern Norway, rather than one of the local defenders associated with King Sverre Sigurdsson.

Professor Michael D. Martin stated, "The biggest surprise for all of us was that the Well-man did not come from the local population, but rather that his ancestry traces back to a specific region in southern Norway." This challenges previous assumptions that the Well-man was one of King Sverre's men.

Archaeologist Anna Petersen from the Norwegian Institute of Cultural Heritage Research, who led the excavations in 2014 and 2016, commented on the newfound identity of the Well-man. "He has been no one. But now he has become someone. He has had a life," she said. The genomic analysis has provided new details about the man's origin and appearance, effectively turning him from a nameless plot device into a person with a history.

The remains of the Well-man were first discovered during a partial excavation of the well in 1938. At that time, experts lacked the necessary tools to perform extensive analysis, and research was halted due to the onset of World War II. The skeleton remained largely unstudied until recent years, when renewed excavations uncovered additional bones, including the Well-man's left hand and skull.

Radiocarbon dating and genomic sequencing have provided a more complex picture of the individual. The analysis showed that the man was between 30 and 40 years old at the time of his death and had suffered injuries consistent with blunt force trauma to the back of the head and sharp force cuts, suggesting a violent death. The cause of death has not been definitively established, as the sample from the Well-man's tooth cannot be reused for further tests.

The findings offer a glimpse into where the man came from and what he may have looked like before his tragic end. Anna Petersen remarked, "The text adds nothing about who this dead man was, where he came from, what group he belonged to." The study's results provide valuable insights into medieval population movements and the longstanding isolation and genetic differentiation of southern Norwegians.

The researchers compared the obtained genome with the genomes of anonymous modern Norwegians stored in reference databases at deCODE Genetics in Iceland. This extensive reference data facilitated the analysis of the Well-man's ancient genome. Dr. Martin Rene Ellegaard explained, "Most of the work that we do is reliant on having reference data. So the more ancient genomes that we sequence and the more modern individuals that we sequence, the better the analysis will be in the future."

Professor Michael D. Martin noted, "This is the first time that a person described in these historical texts has actually been found." Multiple outside researchers have said that the study builds a convincing case, though it cannot definitively prove that the Well-man is the individual from the saga.

The Sverris Saga, believed to have been written by someone close to King Sverre Sigurdsson, possibly the Icelandic abbot Karl Jónsson, has long been a subject of debate among scholars due to its literary embellishments and political biases. The saga details many battles, speeches, and a large cast of characters, reflecting the conflicts and civil wars in Norway during the 12th and 13th centuries. As the authors wrote, "Much of Norway's early history is known from this single text, which depicts a period of political instability characterized by conflicts and civil wars lasting more than a century."

The study sets a precedent for future research on historical figures, showing how genomic methods can corroborate and enhance our understanding of medieval events. The researchers expressed a desire to test samples from other historical figures, including Saint Olaf, who is believed to be buried near Trondheim Cathedral. "If eventually his remains are uncovered, there could be some effort to describe him physically and trace his ancestry using genetic sequencing," Martin said.

In conclusion, the ancient DNA analysis of the Well-man not only corroborates a historical account from the Sverris Saga but also personalizes a figure who was "Reality is always more complicated than sagas or stories. So I think it's an achievement just to be able to say that this man, whoever he was or why he ended up in the well, came from this part of Norway," Petersen said.

Sources: Ars Technica, Newsweek, ScienceDaily, The Sun, The Scottish Sun, 20 minutos, New York Post, Popular Science, Discover Magazine, BioBioChile, Washington Post, New Scientist, NPR, LaVanguardia, The New York Times

This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq