Martin J Smith argues that the study of human remains is the purest,
most reliable and unbiased source of evidence for the reality of
conflict in the past. He outlines its value to the new science of
Battlefield Archaeology and the wider understanding of historical
conflict. He outlines the processes used in examining osteological
remains to unlock the clues about what the combatants endured. Drawing
on case studies spanning the millennia, the author shows how skeletal
remains can often tell us, in chilling detail, exactly what a warrior
suffered in his final moments (though often the evidence of healed
wounds from previous battles is just as striking). This enriches our
understanding of the human experience of battle as well as providing
scientific data on the effects of various weapons on the human body.
This is a book written with scientific rigor by a leading archaeologist
but it will appeal equally to students of archaeology and the military
historian with an interest in the brutal face of battle.