Archaeologists have found a knight with a severe skull deformity - and discovered how he lived and died

Spanish archaeologists and medics have announced a rare and unique discovery: a medieval knight of the Order of Calatrava, who died in battle more than 600 years ago, was diagnosed with Crouzon syndrome - a rare genetic disorder that causes severe deformation of the skull.

The unusual human remains were discovered during excavations at the castle of Sorita de los Canes (Guadalajara province). Next to a typical skeleton of an adult male, archaeologists found a skull of extremely elongated shape - 23 centimetres in length and only 12 centimetres in width, which immediately attracted the attention of researchers.

To understand who this man was and how he was able to live to adulthood, the skeleton was transferred to the laboratory of anthropologist Carme Rissek from the University of Rovira i Virgili. The results of the study are published in the journal Heritage.

Morphological analysis showed that the remains belong to a man of about 50 years old, who lived between the 13th and 15th century. The physical traces on the bones - particularly on the right arm and legs - matched similar features in other knights of the Order of Calatrava and indicated regular horse-riding and weapons ownership.

The key evidence of a combat death were the injuries: a penetrating wound to the temple, a blow to the back of the skull, and a severe contusion to the left shin. All the injuries were inflicted while alive and showed no signs of healing, which is typical for fatal wounds received in combat.

The main mystery, however, was the skull itself. Its shape indicated a severe form of craniosynostosis, a condition in which the cranial sutures fuse prematurely in childhood, impairing head growth. Such cases are extremely rare in adults, much less in professional warriors.

Additional damage to the jaw and missing teeth on the right side indicated severe chewing problems. The researchers suggest that some of the teeth may have been deliberately removed to make eating easier.

Through differential diagnosis, the team ruled out other syndromes with shortened life expectancy or skeletal damage and came to the most likely conclusion: Crouzon syndrome. This rare inherited disorder does not usually affect intelligence or longevity, which explains how this man was able to become a knight and live to a ripe old age.

According to Karme Rissek, despite his physical limitations, this man was a full member of the military order: he rode horses, fought and, as the remains show, died on the battlefield on an equal footing with others.

The researchers emphasise that this case is unique in archaeology and provides a rare insight into how people with severe congenital diseases could live and participate in military life in the Middle Ages.