Soldiers tortured 6,000 years ago were pulled from a pit

Some of the skeletons unearthed during excavations were found to have had their arms severed and their hands mutilated. Researchers believe these findings are the result of prisoners being tortured during some kind of post-war victory celebration.

"The severed limbs may have represented war trophies taken from the battlefield and later brought to settlements and displayed as loot," the article, published in the journal Science Advances, stated.

The study's lead author, Dr. Teresa Fernandez-Crespo, said the captives' legs were broken to prevent their escape. Their skulls also showed signs of blunt force trauma and puncture wounds, suggesting the victims may have been displayed as an example to others.

THEY MAY HAVE COME FROM PARIS

Food residue found in the skeletons' teeth suggests they may have come from the Paris area. However, chemical traces on the bones suggest the group may have moved to other regions.

Researchers say some of the remains show no signs of destruction and are likely warriors killed while trying to defend the area.

THERE ARE ALSO DIFFERENT THEORIES

Another possibility put forward by scientists is that this mass grave may have been the result of collective punishment or sacrifice of people who were excluded from society.