Emily Chan
Additionally, 23 of the bodies had marks on their bones that indicated they died violent deaths. The marks were mostly from puncture wounds and blunt force injuries on parts of the body that were not protected by armor, such as the cheeks, the upper portion of the skull, and the inner part of the pelvis.
Based on the available evidence, experts believe that the remains belong to the warrior monks of the Order of Calatrava. It is the first time that warrior monks have been identified so clearly.
The researchers also performed an isotope analysis on the bones to learn more about the monks’ diet and, in turn, each of their hierarchal status within the Order.
The hierarchy was made up of leaders who were of high nobility, knights who were figures of low nobility and the urban elite, and the peasants.
The results of the analysis showed that their diet was rich in fish and poultry, which was common for medieval high society.
Around the castle, animal remains were also unearthed and studied. They matched the results of the isotopic analysis of the human remains that determined their diets.
In the end, the researchers concluded that the Order mainly consisted of the lower nobility and the urban elite.
“It was fascinating to see that, although the archaeology provided no direct evidence of their identities, our study helped to identify them and, like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle—our results fit with historical sources describing the order and its function,” Pérez-Ramallo said.
