An international team of archaeologists recently led an excavation near the St. Louis castle in Saida where they made a momentous discovery dating back to the Crusades during the Medieval times. The teamuncovered two mass graves of 25 warriors dating back to the 13th century.
DNA testing revealed that the remains belonged to teenage and adult male crusaders of European origin who were likely killed during the attacks on Sidon at that time. The researchers were able to uncover the gruesome manner in which the combatants were killed, as the physical traumas of battle remained apparent. There were signs indicating decapitation, sword attacks, and burning.
According to the Smithsonian Magazine, “most of the injuries were to the fighters’ backs, suggesting they may have been killed while fleeing—possibly by adversaries on horseback, based on where the blows fell on their bodies”.
According to the biological anthropologist at the University of Cambridge Piers Mitchell, King Louis IX of France was on crusade at the time of this attack. Mitchell wonders, “Wouldn’t it be amazing if King Louis himself had helped to bury these bodies?”
This magnificent finding is a reminder of the region’s historical importance, as well as Lebanon’s rich history in particular. We hope this site and the remains are properly handled, and not discarded like so many archeological findings that were erased.
