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Title: Blood Red Roses: The Archaeology of a mass grave from the Battle of Towton AD 1461
Author: Veronica Fiorato (Editor), Anthea Boylston (Editor), Christopher Knusel (Editor)
Publisher: Oxbow Books Ltd., December 2000
The Wars of the Roses are undoubtedly one of the most turbulent periods of English history, and the Battle of Towton reputedly the most bloody battle of any fought on English soil. In 1996 a construction company preparing to build a garage near the site of the battlefield discovered the first mass grave of soldiers ever found on British soil. It contained the remains of up to 51 soldiers who had clearly suffered violent and brutal deaths. The grave provided an unparalleled opportunity for an in-depth study of medieval warfare. Blood Red Roses is the culmination of 4 years work arising from the excavation and study of its contents. Osteoarchaeological analysis revealed a pattern of injuries consistent with death resulting from a series of frenzied attacks to the head. What remains unknown is whether the injuries were inflicted at the time of the battle, or in the days after it. The book tells the fascinating story of the piecing together of the evidence of how the soldiers died, in what circumstances, and the wider implications of the discovery for our knowledge of medieval weaponry, armor, possible battle tactics, and the real horror and brutality of medieval warfare. Forensic analysis of the bones has enabled conclusions to be drawn about the diet, age profile of the army and level of military training the soldiers possessed. The excavation at Towton was the subject of a major British documentary television program, Secrets of the Dead. Blood. Blood Red Roses has been included in History Today's Autumn Books selection, and is to be featured in the BBC History Magazine and Current Archaeology. Anthea Boylston holds a MSc degree in Osteology, Palaeopathology, and Funerary Archaeology. She coordinated the excavation team, and involved weapons experts from the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds, UK, who advised on likely weapons used. She has worked for archaeological units all over the country.Veronica Fiorato, the Principle Archaeological Officer for West Berkshire Council, was the first archaeologist on the site and subsequently managed the rescue excavation. Christopher Knusel is a lecturer in Biological Anthropology at the University of Bradford, UK. He was responsible for setting the findings in socio-cultural context, linking findings from the bone analysis to the condition and skill level of the soldiers concerned. (ISBN: 1-84217-025-2) |
Price: $49.50 USD (not including shipping & handling)
Availability: 1 - 2 weeks delivery
Paperback - 277 pages, Dimensions (in inches): 0.81 x 11.36 x 8.60 |