Mass grave of Caesar's victims found, remains of 150-200,000 Germans

[jimmy olsen]

Excavating that would be creepy as fuck.

http://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/150000-fled-their-lives-were-slaughtered-julius-caesar-army-bones-reveal-020659

150,000 fled for their lives, but were slaughtered by Julius Caesar army, bones reveal

Human bones dating to the Late Iron Age.


14 DECEMBER, 2015 - 21:52 LIZLEAFLOOR
150,000 fled for their lives, but were slaughtered by Julius Caesar army, bones reveal

A cache of bones and artifacts buried at a site near to where the Waal and Meuse rivers meet testify to a genocidal slaughter of tragic proportions. As recorded by Julius Caesar himself, a bloody battle took place in 55 BC resulting in the genocide of between 150,000 and 200,000 Germanic tribespeople, including women and children, in what is now Netherlands.

Archaeologists from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam , working with three decades' worth of archaeological finds as well as historical and geochemical data, have formed conclusions about the dark events that took place thousands of years ago between Julius Caesar and two Germanic tribes, the Tencteri and Usipetes, reports PastHorizons. These finds place Julius Caesar on Dutch soil for the first time in historical record.

A People Betrayed and Destroyed

In Book IV of his De Bello Gallico, Roman Dictator Julius Caesar chronicled in detail the events leading to the mass killings, said to be the earliest known battle on Dutch soil.

The two Germanic tribes, arriving from the east of the Rhine in the spring of the year, had appealed to the Caesar for asylum, after having been driven from their lands by another tribe, the Suebi. The Roman leader refused their request, but instead suggested they share land with another tribe who were also enemies with the Suebi.

Archaeological Finds Reveal Killings, and Ritual         

Spearheads, 20 iron swords, a helmet, belt buckles and other metal artifacts dating to the Iron Age, as well as many bones, have all been discovered at Brabant Kessel since 1975. This is the first time, however, that experts have been able to connect the site with the history of Caesar's massacre during the Gallic Wars.

Skeletal remain of men, women, and children were found at the site, broken up and damaged. Marks and holes in the bones indicate injuries by spear, sword and missile.

Radiocarbon dating on the remains date to the Late Iron Age, and strontium analysis on tooth enamel reveal the dead were not native to the Dutch river area, reports PastHorizons.

It is of particular interest that some of the swords were found to be deliberately destroyed or bent, indicating to researchers that ritual was involved.

Nico Roymans, archaeologist at the institution VU University in Amsterdam said at a press conference at the Allard Pierson Museum, "Though Caesar did not explicitly intend [...] to destroy Germanic tribes, he must have realized that his actions de facto resulted in at least the partial destruction of this ethnic groups."

"This explains why Caesar in his war reports, without any shame, gives detailed descriptions of the use of mass violence against Gallic and Germanic peoples who resisted the Roman conquest."

[grumbler]

Wow!  What purple prose!  This web site looks like a joke, frankly.  I'm not sure whether it is the translation or the original that uses such absurd words as "genocide" and "betrayed," but, if refusing a truce because you think the other side is just buying time is betrayal, betrayal really doesn't have any meaning.

I note that the author doesn't address at all the "genocide" these people had just perpetrated against the Menapians (allies of Rome) and the attacks they had perpetrated against other clients of Rome.  He also doesn't address the fact that, according to his source, Caesar, it was the Germans who attacked the Romans, not vice-versa.

I was an ugly event, no question about it, and Caesar doesn't come off looking all that good in his own account.  But real historians can discuss real history without the kinds of over-wrought and intemperate language this web page uses.

[Tonitrus]

Obviously grumbler and Jules were drinking buddies.

[jimmy olsen]

Wow!  What purple prose!  This web site looks like a joke, frankly.  I'm not sure whether it is the translation or the original that uses such absurd words as "genocide" and "betrayed," but, if refusing a truce because you think the other side is just buying time is betrayal, betrayal really doesn't have any meaning.

I note that the author doesn't address at all the "genocide" these people had just perpetrated against the Menapians (allies of Rome) and the attacks they had perpetrated against other clients of Rome.  He also doesn't address the fact that, according to his source, Caesar, it was the Germans who attacked the Romans, not vice-versa.

I was an ugly event, no question about it, and Caesar doesn't come off looking all that good in his own account.  But real historians can discuss real history without the kinds of over-wrought and intemperate language this web page uses.

Who cares who betrayed who, or if the victims committed genocide against another tribe. You kill 150-200k men, women & children and wipe out an entire tribe, that's genocide, no matter what the extenuating circumstances are.

[Valmy]

Who cares who betrayed who, or if the victims committed genocide against another tribe. You kill 150-200k men, women & children and wipe out an entire tribe, that's genocide, no matter what the extenuating circumstances are.

The extenuating circumstances that genocide is 20th century term and concept applied to something that happened a few thousand years ago? Genocide in this contexts suggest this is some kind of war crime when, as grumbler points out, this was a fairly common thing. So yeah lets stick to using genocide in its proper context. It is lazy history to stir outrage at past events using modern values. You might as well not even bother studying or discussing the topic if this is going to be your approach.

Like calling Mohammed a 'pedophile'

As a history guy I expect better from you Tim.

[derspiess]

Reparations are obviously in order. I will start with all the baked ziti I can eat and then decide from there.

[Martinus]

Time to rename the month of July, the Ceasar's Palace casino and Ceasar's salad! SJWs, get on to it.   

[Archy]

Time to rename the month of July, the Ceasar's Palace casino and Ceasar's salad! SJWs, get on to it.   

I concur we will call it liberty sakad😬

[The Brain]

My impression is that genocide is a word for a physical action, not (just) a legal term that is dependent on legislation in place at the time of said action.

[Zanza]

Does the English language distinguish between Germanic people (those of antiquity and the great migrations and encompassing many tribal groups) and Germans (perhaps starting with Louis the German or Otto the Great and becoming eventually the modern Germans)? Is the noun for members of these groups the same?

[Duque de Bragança]

So Charlemagne is no longer German?  Just Frank/Proto-French? 

[grumbler]

Who cares who betrayed who, or if the victims committed genocide against another tribe. You kill 150-200k men, women & children and wipe out an entire tribe, that's genocide, no matter what the extenuating circumstances are.

I weep for your students.

[Zanza]

Calling him a Frank makes more sense than calling him German or French. The earliest reasonable date for Germany is the Treaty of Verdun in 843.

[Martinus]

Calling him a Frank makes more sense than calling him German or French. The earliest reasonable date for Germany is the Treaty of Verdun in 843.

I thought his name was Charles, not Frank. 

[jimmy olsen]

My impression is that genocide is a word for a physical action, not (just) a legal term that is dependent on legislation in place at the time of said action.

Same here