This page has been translated from sources not in English and may contain inaccuracies or errors.
The Lidingö Does were eight people whose remains were found in a mass grave on the island of Lidingö, Sweden. Despite the mass grave containing eight bodies, only four were found at first, and it took another year for the remaining four to be found. Various proposals and theories have been suggested to explain the grave and identify the remains.
Case[]
On April 23, 1898, two labourers from Stockholm traveled to the island of Lidingö, Sweden, to work on a villa named Sannadal. Since summer was soon approaching, the workers decided to dig up the soil and flowerbeds to plant seeds for the upcoming summer. They started digging up the ground between 12–14 meters from the seashore until their shovels hit something hard. They assumed it was a large stone at first, but after they continued digging, they discovered a human skull. The police were informed, and the rest of the area was carefully excavated, resulting in the discovery of four human skeletons.
An investigation soon started, and it was found that Sannadal had been built 8 - 9 years prior to the discovery and that the island was mainly a marshland covered in alder trees before it was built. Most alarmingly, however, was that the year prior, in the autumn of 1897, four skeletons were found buried in the same area not far from this current discovery. Not much investigation was put into the first discovery, with the local sheriff reporting the four skeletons to The National Antiquarian, and no further action was taken. Even after the villa's construction, the area where the skeletons were discovered was desolate for a few decades.
The two graves were located right next to each other, so it was concluded that they were both part of a single mass grave and that the police simply didn't conduct a large enough excavation back in 1897. The skeletons all belonged to fully grown adults; however, their gender couldn't be determined. The skeletons all laid close together; however, their positions were all different, with some laying face down, on their side or their back, and one of the 1897 skeletons was "in a position bent forward, with its head between the knees" they also seemed to be haphazardly thrown into the shallow grave which was only 6'2 inches deep. The skeletons from 1897 were also placed "chaotically" into the grave, with one being in between two large rocks and another laying on top of another skeleton.
Efforts were undertaken to determine how long the skeletons had been buried. Brass buttons stamped with an unknown motif were recovered on the chest of one of the skeletons. They had only decayed slightly; however, a piece of thread found on another skeleton seemed completely fresh and unspoiled. Cause of death was also a major issue, which became more concerning once a nail was discovered inside one of the skulls.
Another source elaborates on the nail aspect, stating that it was nailed into the skull despite there being no signs of a wooden coffin. The skeletons were all well preserved, with firsthand reports describing them as "smooth and clean, without having been filled with any dirt, the teeth well-preserved and shiny." However, it was reported that the left side of one of the skulls was crushed and caved in.
Adding to confusion around how long the bodies were buried was the fact that the soil they were buried in contributed to their well-preserved condition, as the skeletons were buried in topsoil. Eventually, it was concluded that the skeletons were dead and buried for 50 years at the very latest. However, this claim would later be called into question with new information indicating that they were buried much more recently or much further back.
The discovery became major news all over 19th-century Sweden and even abroad, as Swedish newspapers based in the United States reported on it as well. Despite how sensational a story this became, there would be few updates; however, the few that were printed provided some vital information.
The bones and grave were further examined, and a clay tobacco pipe was discovered alongside a sailcloth awl with a wooden handle. This information proved vital as the first clay pipes in Sweden were made in 1595; thus, that was the earliest the grave could've been created. The clay pipes were most common during the 17th and 18th centuries. Therefore, it was determined that the grave was created between 1595 and 1897. The preservation of the bones, the brass button, the wooden handle of the awl, and the piece of thread indicated that the grave was created more recently. It was also proposed that the skeletons were likely dead before they were buried, as evidenced by one of the skeletons having its jaws wide open. The nail found in one of the skulls was also examined and found to be three inches long.
The police eventually determined that this likely wasn't a criminal investigation and informed The National Antiquarian of the discovery. The police stated that the skeletons were either victims of a disease or soldiers from the Finnish War and that they had been buried from 1808 to 1809. Despite this being the official explanation, not everyone was satisfied, and some other theories were proposed, although the authorities never conducted any further investigations.
Sources[]
- Svenska Dagbladet (Swedish)
- Aftonbladet: (Swedish)