Sandby Borg lies on the east coast of the Swedish island of Öland in the Baltic Sea. Constructed around a.d. 400, its oval retaining wall was once more than 16 feet high. The stone wall that crosses it was built much later.

Can archaeologists solve Sweden's 1,500-year-old murder mystery?

The remains of 26 massacred men were uncovered at the Iron Age site of Sandby Borg, where a grim tale of societal collapse is revealing itself.

Sandby Borg lies on the east coast of the Swedish island of Öland in the Baltic Sea. Constructed around a.d. 400, its oval retaining wall was once more than 16 feet high. The stone wall that crosses it was built much later.
Daniel Lindskog
This content is Subscriber-Exclusive
You must have a National Geographic subscription to explore this article.

Read This Next

Is banning fishing bad for fishermen? Not in this marine reserve
SeaWorld allegedly violated the Animal Welfare Act. Why is it still open?
'World’s worst shipwreck' was bloodier than we thought

Go Further

Subscriber Exclusive Content

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet