Blood Red Roses: The Archaeology of a Mass Grave from the Battle of Towton AD 1461

by Veronica Fiorato (Editor), Anthea Boylston (Editor), Christopher Knusel (Editor)

The Battle of Towton in North Yorkshire, fought during the Wars of the Roses, was reputedly the bloodiest battle ever seen on English soil. In 1996 a mass grave of soldiers was discovered there by chance. This was the catalyst for a multi-disciplinary research project, still unique in Britain ten years after the initial discovery, which included a study of the skeletal remains, the battlefield landscape, the historical evidence and contemporary arms and armour. The discoveries were dramatic and moving; the individuals had clearly suffered traumatic deaths and subsequent research highlighted the often multiple wounds each individual had received before and, in some cases, after they had died. As well as the exciting forensic work the project also revealed much about medieval weaponry and fighting. Blood Red Roses contains all the information about this fascinating discovery, as well as discussing its wider historical, heritage and archaeological implications. The second edition features new chapters by a re-enactor and a history teacher, which apply the research from the initial study to produce a veritable living history.

Genres: History, Archaeology, Medieval History, Medieval, Nonfiction

277 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Magdalena Hanell]

I'm sure normal people would be bored to death by this book, but as a history nerd and an archeologist wannabe, this book is AMAZING! It's an extremely detailed analysis of the finds at Towton, both bodies and items. There is not a stone unturned in the research of the 61 individuals found in the massgrave. How did they live? How did they die? What did they wear? What weapons were used? I loved every line in this book!

[Robert]

Fascinating.

[Samantha Davenport]

Impressive archeology with limited budget and time.