Abstract

In 2010, excavations on the Paardenmarkt in Alkmaar revealed the presence of two mass graves in which victims of the Eighty Years' War siege of Alkmaar were interred. Various archaeological and historical studies into this important event in Dutch history have already been undertaken, however, no human remains that could be directly associated with the siege had been previously encountered. The present study of the human remains found at the Paarden-markt has the potential to provide a new perspective on the siege and add substantially to the current historical knowledge. This chapter presents the known historical data and demonstrates how the archaeological, osteological, forensic and isotopic studies of these skeletal remains and the associated trauma can contribute to a better and fuller understanding of this important historical event in Dutch history.