Emily Chan
After studying some medieval human remains from a castle in Spain, researchers now know more about a group of warrior monks who lived a long time ago.
The remains were buried in a cemetery at a castle in Zorita de los Canes, a municipality that is located in the center of Spain.
Members of a Christian military and religious institution known as the Order of Calatrava were laid to rest in the cemetery.
The Order of Calatrava was established in 1158 when King Sancho III of Castile ceded the fortress of Calatrava to the abbot of the Cistercian monastery.
The order of knights and monks defended the fortress against the Moors. In 1164, they were formally recognized by the pope.
By the time the Order was dissolved in the 19th century, it had become nothing more than an honorary association of Spanish nobles.
The researchers analyzed the remains of 25 individuals who were buried between the 12th and 15th centuries.
They were able to determine what the diets and lifestyles of the deceased were, as well as the causes of their deaths.
According to Patxi Pérez-Ramallo, a co-author of the study and an archaeologist at the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology in Germany, the individuals died in battle.
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