Windeby Girl Research Paper
Windeby Girl.......who is she or he? How did they die? Where was his or her family? What part of the world did she originally come from? These are all questions which have plagued historical researchers for many years, largely due to the fact that there are no pieces of written evidence that would help to answer these questions, meaning that interpretation of archaeological sources is the only basis for trying to find the answers. As is usually the case with interpretation though, many different conclusions are made and therefore, ultimately we are still uncertain about which interpretation reveals the answer to these questions. Records indicate that this was the first body to be found in Windeby, but it is widely considered that the records
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found from the time of the discovery will always be inconclusive as to the true identity of this person due the wide variety of interpretations that have been made. When, where and by whom was this person found?
Windeby girl was discovered in the northern German town of Windeby by the owners of a local estate in 1952. This discovery was made in the forest surrounding the town. At the time of the discovery, it made big news in the town as it was widely considered that this was the first body discovered in Windeby, at least in documented history.
How was this person found? The body of this person was found by the owners of a local estate when they were cutting peat, which was then to be sold for fuel. The farmers did not initially see the remains and unfortunately damaged them partially before they made the discovery. Once aware of this though, the owners stopped cutting into the peat to preserve the body and then advised authorities of their discovery. At the time of the finding of the body all future work was then ceased in the short term as damage to the body was caused, which resulted in one leg, one hand and a foot becoming detached from the body which had been preserved as a whole, in the ground. The death of the Windeby girl was recorded as being between 41 AD and 118 AD by using the Carbon dating method.
What object were found with the body? What is the significance about these objects?
There wasn’t a great deal of objects found with the Windeby girl’s body. There were no items such as large objects or tools but there was a discovery of a woollen band covering the girl’s eyes and a leather collar around her neck. The body was naked with no items of clothing found near the body, leading to the popular belief that the Windeby girl passed away from being strangled. Another interesting theory arising from the study of the body and surrounding objects is that the Windeby girl may have in fact been a male. The basis of this theory is, in part, attributed to a DNA sample taken by Prof Heather Gill-Robinson at North Dakota State University in 2007. The test concluded that the Windeby girl was actually a young boy.
Outline one theory about how this person died, using evidence to support your theory
There are multiple theories on how Windeby girl passed away.
These include: committing adultery, sacrifice or homicide. The theory I have chosen though, is that she died from natural causes. There are multiple pieces of evidence that show us the Windeby girl may have potentially died of natural causes.
When the Windeby girl’s body was discovered, it showed no signs of any visible wounds or any type of injury. At the time the body was found with half of the hair on the head shaved. The researchers found growth disruptions in the bone structure during their investigations and these tests indicated that the Windeby girl was possibly malnourished and may have died through lack of food or natural causes. All of these pieces of evidence point towards the theory of natural causes. Another theory states that the Windeby girl was also blindfolded with a woollen band covering her eyes so she was unable to see. A German archaeologist Michael Gebuhr from the University of Hamburg believes that the body was blindfolded “to protect the living from the gaze of the dead”. This argument is key as a lot of the arguments surrounding sacrifice or homicide would suggest that the blindfold was used to protect or weaken the Windeby Girl in her final moments of life so she wouldn’t have to witness her impending
doom.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Windeby girls’ discovery was one which made headlines within the town as it was something that had never before been seen. From a historical perspective, it is a fascinating case study that is steeped in interpretation of all facts of the Windeby Girls’ life and death. With new evidence comes even more new theories, the most unique of which suggest that she could have actually been a boy, a fact which only serves to demonstrate how little we know for certain about this person. All theories of the death of the Windeby Girl are inconclusive, but after examining many different sources, I have come to the conclusion that the Windeby girl died from natural causes, specifically illness and malnourishment.
found from the time of the discovery will always be inconclusive as to the true identity of this person due the wide variety of interpretations that have been made. When, where and by whom was this person found?
Windeby girl was discovered in the northern German town of Windeby by the owners of a local estate in 1952. This discovery was made in the forest surrounding the town. At the time of the discovery, it made big news in the town as it was widely considered that this was the first body discovered in Windeby, at least in documented history.
How was this person found? The body of this person was found by the owners of a local estate when they were cutting peat, which was then to be sold for fuel. The farmers did not initially see the remains and unfortunately damaged them partially before they made the discovery. Once aware of this though, the owners stopped cutting into the peat to preserve the body and then advised authorities of their discovery. At the time of the finding of the body all future work was then ceased in the short term as damage to the body was caused, which resulted in one leg, one hand and a foot becoming detached from the body which had been preserved as a whole, in the ground. The death of the Windeby girl was recorded as being between 41 AD and 118 AD by using the Carbon dating method.
What object were found with the body? What is the significance about these objects?
There wasn’t a great deal of objects found with the Windeby girl’s body. There were no items such as large objects or tools but there was a discovery of a woollen band covering the girl’s eyes and a leather collar around her neck. The body was naked with no items of clothing found near the body, leading to the popular belief that the Windeby girl passed away from being strangled. Another interesting theory arising from the study of the body and surrounding objects is that the Windeby girl may have in fact been a male. The basis of this theory is, in part, attributed to a DNA sample taken by Prof Heather Gill-Robinson at North Dakota State University in 2007. The test concluded that the Windeby girl was actually a young boy.
Outline one theory about how this person died, using evidence to support your theory
There are multiple theories on how Windeby girl passed away.
These include: committing adultery, sacrifice or homicide. The theory I have chosen though, is that she died from natural causes. There are multiple pieces of evidence that show us the Windeby girl may have potentially died of natural causes.
When the Windeby girl’s body was discovered, it showed no signs of any visible wounds or any type of injury. At the time the body was found with half of the hair on the head shaved. The researchers found growth disruptions in the bone structure during their investigations and these tests indicated that the Windeby girl was possibly malnourished and may have died through lack of food or natural causes. All of these pieces of evidence point towards the theory of natural causes. Another theory states that the Windeby girl was also blindfolded with a woollen band covering her eyes so she was unable to see. A German archaeologist Michael Gebuhr from the University of Hamburg believes that the body was blindfolded “to protect the living from the gaze of the dead”. This argument is key as a lot of the arguments surrounding sacrifice or homicide would suggest that the blindfold was used to protect or weaken the Windeby Girl in her final moments of life so she wouldn’t have to witness her impending
doom.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Windeby girls’ discovery was one which made headlines within the town as it was something that had never before been seen. From a historical perspective, it is a fascinating case study that is steeped in interpretation of all facts of the Windeby Girls’ life and death. With new evidence comes even more new theories, the most unique of which suggest that she could have actually been a boy, a fact which only serves to demonstrate how little we know for certain about this person. All theories of the death of the Windeby Girl are inconclusive, but after examining many different sources, I have come to the conclusion that the Windeby girl died from natural causes, specifically illness and malnourishment.