Archaeologists are close to unravelling the mystery of a mass execution that took place 2,600 years ago

Archaeologists discovered an unusual burial site in 2016 at the ancient Faleron cemetery, located in Attica near Athens.

Three mass graves contained the remains of 79 adult men, dating from the 7th–6th centuries BC. Many of them were bound with metal shackles.

The nature of the burial immediately gave rise to numerous theories. Researchers speculated that they might have been prisoners of war, foreign invaders, pirates, criminals or participants in an internal political conflict.

However, it was impossible to determine the origin of the deceased based on the skeletons alone.

Details

In a new study, scientists analysed the tooth enamel of 163 individuals buried at Phaleron. Among them were 66 men from the mysterious mass graves.

The chemical composition of tooth enamel is formed predominantly during childhood and remains virtually unchanged thereafter. The ratio of strontium isotopes depends on local geology, water and food, so it can indicate the region where a person spent their early years.

In effect, teeth retain a distinctive chemical ‘signature’ of the place where a person grew up.

Of the 66 men from the mass graves who were studied, 64 – 96.9 per cent – had isotopic values consistent with the local population of Attica.

Only two were classified as likely to have been non-locals.

A similar pattern was observed among the rest of those buried at Phaleron: 156 out of the 163 individuals examined, or around 95.7 per cent, were found to be locals.

This means that the bound men were, in terms of their origin, virtually indistinguishable from the rest of the cemetery’s population.

Following the discovery of the graves, one of the popular hypotheses was the suggestion that foreign invaders or another group of people who had arrived in Attica from outside had been buried there.

The new analysis seriously undermines this theory.

Researchers believe that the violence, traces of which have been preserved at Phaleron, was most likely directed inwards at the local community itself, rather than against a large group of foreigners.

However, the study does not establish exactly who the victims were.

One of the most intriguing theories links the mass burials to political strife in archaic Athens.

The 7th and 6th centuries BC were a time of serious social and political conflict. Various groups vied for power, and attempts at coups could end in brutal reprisals against the losing side.

The bound men may therefore have been participants in an internal rebellion or political opponents of the victorious faction.

Previously, some researchers had even attempted to link the find to Chilon’s failed coup in Athens in the 7th century BC.

However, there is no direct evidence of such a connection.

The men may not have been political rebels, but criminals who were executed at the same time.

The mass burial, the shackles and the position of the bodies do indeed suggest that a state execution is one of the likely scenarios.

However, chemical analysis of teeth cannot determine a person’s social status, their political views or the cause of death.

The new study only answers the question of origin: most of the men examined probably grew up in Attica or in a region with a similar geochemical environment.

Strontium isotopes do not allow us to establish a person’s citizenship or ethnicity.

Even if a man grew up in Attica, he may not have been a full Athenian citizen. The population may have included slaves, dependants, second-generation migrants or members of other social groups.

Furthermore, different regions sometimes share similar geological characteristics.

Therefore, the data suggest a probable local origin, but do not provide an ancient equivalent of a passport.

Why this is important

The mass graves at Phaleron offer a rare opportunity to glimpse the darker side of the period when the political institutions of ancient Athens were taking shape.

Historical sources tell of struggles among the elites, coups and punishments, but archaeological finds allow us to see the direct consequences of this violence.

Scientists have now managed to rule out or significantly weaken one of the key theories: the majority of the bound men were most likely not a group of foreigners.

The next question remains the most difficult: for what exactly were they executed?

Source

Study: Julianne R. Stamer et al. ‘Investigating the residential history of the Esplanada mass graves at Phaleron, Greece’.

Journal: Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2026.