This may come as a shock to some of you in Scandinavia, but your ancestors were a bit rough with each other.

From the article:

Project manager Mads Kähler Holst said: “We have found a wooden stick bearing the pelvic bones of four different men. In addition, we have unearthed bundles of bones, bones bearing marks of cutting and scraping, and crushed skulls. Our studies reveal that a violent sequel took place after the fallen warriors had lain on the battlefield for around six months.”

The battles near Alken Enge took place during the Iron Age when the Roman Empire was expanding north, resulting in wars between Romans and Germanic tribes.

Researchers believe the battle in Denmark stemmed from internal conflict, with Roman records documenting the gruesome rituals Germanic people conducted on the dead bodies of their enemies.

Flesh had been cleaned from the bones, which were then desecrated before being thrown into the lake. The bones were mixed with the remains of slaughtered animals and pots containing what is believed to be food sacrifices.

“We are fairly sure that this was a religious act. It seems that this was a holy site for a pagan religion – a sacred grove – where the victorious conclusion of major battles was marked by the ritual presentation and destruction of the bones of the vanquished warriors,” Holst said.

Read the whole thing here.