De dömdas öde
en rättsmedicinsk tolkning av skeletala skador från avrättningsplatsen Galgberget i Visby
This scientific essay contains an interpretation of injuries caused by weapons and traumas on the bones from the execution site Galgberget in Visby, Gotland. The site was used from about the 13th century to 1845 AD. The purpose is to examine the injuries and describe them, also to investigate what may have generated them. An important question is what bodily position the individuals had at the time of the injury. The methods presented in this essay can be associated with experimental osteology, also the basic methods such as sex- age- and stature- assessment has been applied where?s possible. Microscopic analysis, measurements and literature studies has been carried out. To supplement the visual analysis, X-ray has been performed by medical doctor Staffan Jennerholm at Visby Hospital.The individuals from the site has relatively few injuries that consistent with executions. Some of them show traces of what may come from some sort of battle, fractures has also been investigated. This essey primarily deals with the injuries from an execution approach, parallels are also drawn to the battle of 1361 on Gotland when Valdemar Atterdag marched into the island. The small number of decapitation injuries may be due to that hanging was the primary method of execution. The reason can also be that the affected bones are still buried at the site since only approximately 20 % of the area is excavated.