The life in the napoleonic army - interdisciplinary investigation of a mass grave from Kassel, Hesse

ABSTRACT:
In 2008, a mass grave was found on the grounds of the University of Kassel, Germany. There was no evidence helping to identify them or throwing light on the cause of their death. Mainly due to 14C age determination and initial hints on age and sex distribution, historians hypothesized that they had been soldiers of Napoleon’s army who died in an epidemic in the winter of 1813/14. To test this assumption, morphological and molecular analyses were carried out on the skeletal elements which were comingled in an emergency excavation. The morphological analyses comprised an age and sex determination as well as a macro- and micro-morphological inspection for pathological deviations after the commingled bones had been assembled as individuals. The molecular investigations aimed to identify the geographic origin of the remains due to Y-chromosomal haplotyping as well as the investigation of bacterial DNA linked to the postulated epidemic. Altogether, 126 individuals could be identified, only one of them female. Most of the individuals died at the age between 20 and 30. Although the skeletal elements in some cases reveal some features which are linked to general physical stress, no evidence of trauma related to a possible cause of death could be found.

The greatest similarities revealed by Y-haplogroup and haplotype distribution were to populations that live in what are now the Benelux countries or the Alsace, supporting the theory that the individuals indeed were part of Napoleonic troops. In some bones, the bacteria Bartonella quintana and Salmonella typhi could be detected, further supporting the postulated epidemic event. Due to the results of this thesis, the identity of the individuals of the mass grave as soldiers of Napoleon’s army who died in an epidemic could be scientifically confirmed.


119 y-dna haplotypes were obtained


75x R1b
7x R1a
7x E1b1b
7x I1
8x I2b1
1x I2a
4x J1
6x J2
2x G2a
2x T
1x Q

Thesis can be downloaded there: https://ediss.uni-goettingen.de/hand...e-attribute=en (in German)

KS32 is probably an R1a-Z282*
KSM-Hu-10 may be an R1a-Z93+Y57+
KS18 and KS64 are very rare and can't be easily told of, probably another kind of old Z282 or Z280. Or maybe an L664. Can't tell without more markers, especially DYS388.

Generally speaking, all of M458+ branches can be excluded from this bunch. Given that even Western Germans have that in non-trivial amounts, this R1a may be French indeed.

No material evidence to identify them ? I find it very odd. Even in the case of widespread looting over the bodies, one would think small objects would have made their way into the grave.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rudel

No material evidence to identify them ? I find it very odd. Even in the case of widespread looting over the bodies, one would think small objects would have made their way into the grave.

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Pretty sad, that only a naked bodies were thrown into a mass grave. That's why we can only speculate. But the monotonous data we have can indicate French, though some autosomals would be better.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Artek

Pretty sad, that only a naked bodies were thrown into a mass grave. That's why we can only speculate. But the monotonous data we have can indicate French, though some autosomals would be better.

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"French" in the context of the Napoleonic wars is hardly interesting. It'd be better to be able to pinpoint the regiment (hence the need for material evidence). This being said, I think cross-referencing it with military archives could be useful.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rudel

"French" in the context of the Napoleonic wars is hardly interesting. It'd be better to be able to pinpoint the regiment (hence the need for material evidence). This being said, I think cross-referencing it with military archives could be useful.

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That's even less possible :D But would be great to know.