Archaeologists find bones of medieval knight with jousting injuries

The remains of the man who may have been a knight

(Image credit: Twitter/Headland Archaeology)

published 2 March 2015

Archaeologists discovered the remains of 700 people at the graveyard of England's Hereford Cathedral between 2009 and 2011. But recent osteological research has revealed that one of the bodies is particularly noteworthy: The skeleton's broken bones suggest that the man may have been a medieval knight who sustained jousting injuries throughout his life.

The skeletons are from the Norman Conquest, which ran from 1066 C.E. through the 19th century, Ancient Origins reports. The bones of the man who may have been a knight have fractures on his right side, at the man's ribs and shoulders. Archaeologists believe the man was hit in the right side of his upper body during jousting events. The man also had a break in his left leg that researchers believe may be due to a stirrup injury.

"Obviously, we can never be sure how people came about their wounds, but in this case there is a considerable amount of evidence suggesting this man was involved in some form of violent activity, and the locations of his injuries do match quite closely what might be expected from taking part in mock battles," Andy Boucher, the Headland Archaeology researcher in charge of the osteological study, said in a statement. "The fact that he was still doing this after he was 45 suggests he must have been very tough."