Skeletons Of Bloodiest Day (Towton - 1461AD)

The Press ^ | 9-12-2006 | Nadia Jefferson-Brown

[PzLdr]

Body count. The Mongols rode off the battlefield at Leignitz with 40,000 right ears in potoato sacks.

[Thombo2]

Interesting link.The skull in the pic looks like it was bashed in by a mace.I'd say life was short and quite often violent back then.

[ValerieUSA]

How could so many men have enough food to eat during such a long winter in England? How could livestock be kept alive? Perhaps the battle deaths were in lieu of starvation. The survivors didn't have to share dinner with quite so many other hungry mouths.

[SunkenCiv]

In addition to Blam's comments, the fact that it was cold may have contributed to their preservation. Cold slows down decay, and also dessicates. Another factor, we may be seeing the best preserved remains as selected for photography. ;')

[SunkenCiv]

The Somme figure is the record (AFAIK) for one day's dead -- in one army. And the Somme should be on anyone's list of battles which displayed really stupid leadership on one side. But anyway, just for the sake of argument...

The dead at Towton was on both sides, combined; as it noted above, there was indeed one army that tried to get out, and was trapped against a river (poor discipline, or a number of higher-ups made their getaway, leaving the rest without leadership, or perhaps some of the mercenary muscle hadn't been paid anyway, and decided to vamoose); and the eventual winner declared there would be no quarter, so the fighting on both sides must have been merciless. Henry VI was a bit of a nutbar, and that could have had an impact on Lancastrian morale.

[SunkenCiv]

The builds of these skeletons are said to be larger and burlier than the usual surviving human remains from the period, which means they probably didn't have to wait in line at the buffet table. ;') "I'll take that, peasant!"

[blam]

"How could so many men have enough food to eat during such a long winter in England? How could livestock be kept alive? Perhaps the battle deaths were in lieu of starvation. The survivors didn't have to share dinner with quite so many other hungry mouths."

In those times, often whole villages (animals,women and children) moved with the army/fighters and were encamped somewhere close in the region.

[SunkenCiv]

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[MichiganMan]

In brief, you probably would not have wanted to meet any of these guys in a dark alley somewhere.

Hmm, it appears meeting them in the middle of a day lit field somewhere is not a recipe for a happy day either...

[BBell]

I remember this. Some things never get old.

[DustinO]

i didnt think it was possible, but looking at those skeletons made me like guns even more.

[SunkenCiv]

• Towton, the bloodbath that changed the course of English history. (Well worth reading)
• Battle of Towton, the birth of modern warfare and the killing of 1% of the population
• The Battle of Towton :Nasty, brutish and not that short

[SunkenCiv]

The Battle of Towton ping for 2018. ;^) OLD TOPIC so keep that in mind if you decide to reply.

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[sneakers]

Recently watched a documentary on the burials at Towton. The documentary was probably made several years ago. Never get bored of this stuff!

[MNJohnnie]

The difference is battles of the US Civil war usually ended indecisively while medieval battle frequently ended in a rout.

Medevial routs, which usually involved the whole army, are when most casualties happened since once routed soldiers were out of their close combat formations they were more vulnerable.

Civil war soldiers, even when routed had covering fire from unbroken artillery and infantry units. It was rare for a civil war army to actually make an effective pursuit against a routed foe.

Take one of the worst cases. Chancellorsville. Jackson was eventually stopped by unbroken Union infantry and artillery.

[bert]

Here’s the video describing the studies of the dead warriors of Towton. One wonders where the money comes from for studies so intense

The battlefield is shown in some detail.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvvhtIx2DRc

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks, some of the UK stuff gets done on lotto money.

[sneakers]

Thanks for the link bert!

[Interesting Times]

Ping to post 76.

[bert]

Lotto....Hmmm. Then I thought of the dectorists

There is a Brit TV program called the Detectorists that is comedy revolving around a group or club of metal detector super enthusiasts. If they do discover treasure, they must turn it in. The dug antiquities might pay