Random New Evidence Shows Medieval Battle Axes Were Far More Brutal Than We Thought (11 items)

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  (#3) The Battle Of Towton Was One Of The Bloodiest Of The 15th Century – 1% Of The English Population Was Killed That Day

  The Battle of Towton was more or less removed from historical memory during the late 15th- and 16th-century Tudor Dynasty. The battle was fought in the north of England on March 29, 1491, and between 50,000 to 80,000 Englishmen were on the field of battle that day. Some estimates indicate that the two sides were evenly matched, while others claim the Lancasters had a numeric advantage. 

  As the battle waged over many hours, neither side gained a clear advantage, but in the wind and cold weather, the Lancastrians were forced to advance in order that their arrows reach the Yorkist line. The archers relented, and the two forces moved into hand-to-hand combat, with the momentum shifting in favor of the Lancastrian forces until York reinforcements arrived. The Lancaster line broke, and they retreated, with York fighters pursuing them and killing them as they fled. The death toll, according to contemporary sources, numbered 28,000 men, which was 1% of the entire population of England at the time, but the battle was a Yorkist victory. 
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  (#8) Towton 25's Fellow Fighters Suffered Similar Fates

  In addition to the slashing wounds and severe blows that Towton 25 experienced, the bones from the Towton graves show skulls with puncture wounds, evidence of blunt force trauma, incapacitating damage, and numerous fractures and other broken bones. There is no reason to believe that the men didn't die in the midst of the battle, as there are no signs of torture or any indications that the men were restrained as prisoners.

  It's believed that the individuals in the Towton grave, because the pit itself is a mile from the battlefield proper, were killed late in the battle as the Yorkists pursued the fleeing Lancaster forces. 
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  (#10) Battle Axes Varied In Strength And Efficacy

  There were numerous kinds of axes used during the medieval period, ranging from short hand-held axes to longer poleaxes, which often had a spike on the back of the blade. Anglo-Saxons and Vikings used axes with thicker-bearded or triangle heads, while in eastern Europe, axes had much thinner blades. Battle axes were made of various types of metal – or combinations of metal – but were not always strong enough to do much more than glance off of armor when just the curved blade was used. 

  By the 14th century, a longer staff weapon, like the poleaxe, was preferred to a shorter hand axe. The former allowed for more momentum and a harder swing, and with the spike, pierced plate armor in one shot.
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  (#4) Graves From Towton Reveal Some Seriously Hacked Bodies

  The Battle of Towton was fought in a meadow, land that remained undeveloped until the 20th century. The discovery of a large grave at Towton in 1996 included 38 skeletons, 28 of them full males, ranging from roughly 20 to 50 years of age. Further excavation revealed as many as 51 skeletons, all of which showed signs of violent deaths.

  The wounds found on the bones not only showed signs of (then) recent injury but also healed wounds, indicating the men were veterans who had finally run out of luck on that fateful Sunday in March. Only one skull did not show signs of a head injury; others showed as many as 13 wounds inflicted at Towton. 
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  (#9) Battle Axes Were Fierce But Not Always Deadly Like Hollywood Wants You To Believe

  The evidence of the Towton grave reveals how horrible battle in the Middle Ages could be, giving truth to what Hollywood has been portraying all along. The realities of weapons like the battle axe are much more complicated than the single-swing death-blows thrown in movies like Braveheart.

  The numerous blows suffered by Towton 25, as well as the healed wounds found on the other bones from the battle, demonstrate the long-term suffering and pain suffered over and over again by medieval fighters.
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  (#5) The Skull Of Towton 25 Tells A Story Of Pain – And Overkill

  Towton 25, the 25th skull removed from the mass grave, showed signs of a blade wound that crosses its face diagonally across his eye, nose, and jaw. The blow that inflicted the damage was most likely given after his death, but analysis of his skull revealed that he suffered numerous blows while still alive. Scientists recreated the last hours of Towton 25's life and determined that he experienced at least five non-fatal blows to the head on the battlefield.

  Towton 25 had clearly been engaged in hand-to-hand fighting and was slashed as a result. It was a lethal blow to the back of the head that ended Towton 25's life, but one of the two posthumous blows, the one that diagonally crossed his eye, nose, and jaw, is his legacy. 

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