In 1361, amidst the brutal Battle of Visby where 2,000 Swedish peasants faced 2,500 Danish soldiers, one unfortunate warrior met a gruesome end, as revealed by recent research on his remains.

The archaeological scan of bodies left on the battlefield caught the attention of Brazilian graphic artist Cícero Moraes, who embarked on reconstructing the skull of a warrior with a peculiar facial wound.

This doomed soldier bore a gash extending from his lower jaw up across his nose, a wound likely inflicted by an ax during the battle. Moraes utilized soft tissue markers on the skull and a CT scan of a living volunteer to recreate the warrior’s appearance, revealing the horrifying injury.

The facial reconstruction showcased the severity of the ax wound, leaving an indelible mark on the face of the medieval warrior. Moraes commented on the weapon choice, stating, “Among the weapon options that could have been used, the ax seemed the most coherent.

So, I modeled an ax and placed it on the bone. It’s hard to know if it killed him, but it certainly did a lot of damage to the soft tissue. It was shocking to see that ax stuck in his face.”

However, the ax wound wasn’t the lone injury suffered by this unfortunate soul. Additional wounds above his left eye and on his left cheekbone suggested other weapons, possibly pole weapons, contributed to his demise during the Battle of Visby.

Moraes expressed doubt about the warrior’s survival following such grievous injuries, considering the limited medical capabilities of the time. The harsh reality of treating such wounds in 1361 painted a grim picture for the warrior’s fate.

The Battle of Visby itself was a clash between untrained Swedish farmers in Gotland and the well-trained mercenaries of the Danish army led by King Valdemar Atterdag. The conflict resulted in the rapid defeat of the Swedish farmers, with an estimated 1,800 of them meeting their demise.

Moraes emphasized the impact of the facial reconstruction, stating, “These images are quite impactful. Today we have several conflicts happening in the world, and we usually observe the scenes from afar, having no idea what happens to the combatants. Imagine how it is for those who receive such violence.”

The reconstructed face of the medieval warrior serves as a poignant reminder of the high cost paid by many during the Battle of Visby, echoing the profound toll of violence across centuries.