Skeleton of 17th century Ottoman ‘war camel’ found near Vienna

Workers preparing to build a new shipping centre in the town of Tulln, Austria in 2006 unearthed a variety of valuable artifacts, including the complete skeleton of a camel. Although camel bones have been found in various parts of Europe dating back to the Roman era, this is the first full skeleton found in central Europe.

“The partly excavated skeleton was at first suspected to be a large horse or cattle, but one look at the cervical vertebrae, the lower jaw and the metacarpal bones immediately revealed that this was a camel,” said archaeozoologist Alfred Galik in a statement.

Galik, of the Institute for Anatomy, Histology and Embryology at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna is the lead author of a paper detailing the findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE.

The camel is believed to have come from the Ottoman empire. In 1683, the Ottomans laid siege to Vienna for two months, culminating in the Battle of Vienna on September 11 of that year. The Ottoman defeat is seen as a turning point in history. After that date, Ottoman power in Europe began to decline.

The Ottoman’s used “war camels” as well as horses in battle and researchers believe that it was probably traded or captured during or shortly after the conflict.

Camels, like most animals, were frequently eaten by soldiers in times of shortage. This, at least partially, explains the lack of intact skeletons. The animal was probably something of a novelty to the people of Tulln however.

“The animal was certainly exotic for the people of Tulln. They probably didn’t know what to feed it or whether one could eat it. Perhaps it died a natural death and was then buried without being used,” said Galik.

The camel was a male, roughly seven years old and was most likely castrated according to the researchers. DNA analysis also shows that it was a hybrid between a dromedary and a Bactrian camel. The analysis confirms what researchers found in the camel’s features.

“Such crossbreeding was not unusual at the time. Hybrids were easier to handle, more enduring and larger than their parents. These animals were especially suited for military use,” explained Galik.

Careful analysis of the remains also show that it was used as a riding animal rather than a beast of burden. Symmetrical marks on the shoulder blades likely indicate a rider getting on and off but there was no sign of arthritis which would indicate that it was used to carrying a great deal of weight.

Other objects recovered from the construction site include ceramic plates, a coin from the time of Louis XIV and a medicine bottle containing Theriacum from the “Apotheke zur Goldenen Krone” chemists shop in Vienna.