Remains of man whose death was recorded in 1197 saga uncovered in Norway

Researchers say skeleton retrieved from well is likely to be that of man ‘cast headfirst’ into it by besiegers of castle

In 1197, an ancient saga records, a body was flung into a well by the besiegers of Sverresborg castle outside Nidaros, now the central Norwegian city of Trondheim. More than 800 years later, scientists think they may have found him.

“While we cannot prove that the remains are those of the individual mentioned in the saga, the circumstantial evidence is consistent with this conclusion,” the researchers said in a study published in the journal iScience.