Cannibalism in Britain? How early Bronze Age bones reveal a grim tale | History News

Archaeologists have discovered evidence of the bloodiest massacre known in British prehistory: an incident that took place in the countryside of Somerset, England, nearly 4,000 years ago.

The site, which was first discovered about 50 years ago, contains human remains marked by cut marks, crushed skulls and human chew marks, suggesting violent mass killing and cannibalism, or cannibalism (human-specific cannibalism).

Here’s what to know about studying these remains and how they are reshaping our perception of prehistory:

What was discovered?

In a Recent studyscientists in the United Kingdom reviewed about 3,000 fragmentary bones that were initially discovered by cavers in the 1970s from Charterhouse Warren, a rural area in Somerset.

These remains, which had been largely ignored for decades, are believed to belong to at least 37 individuals – men, women and children – who were killed and butchered sometime between 2,200 and 2,000 BC.

This discovery represents the largest known case of interpersonal violence in prehistoric Britain. Nearly half of the remains belonged to teenagers and children, suggesting that the entire community may have been wiped out in a single devastating event.

The bones, which appear to have been thrown into a 15-metre (49 ft) deep limestone shaft, have numerous cut marks. There are also crushed skulls, and some of the bones show evidence of fleshing, disintegration and marrow extraction.

Some of the bones also show signs of human chewing, indicating cannibalism.

Why did he kill these people?

The violence is unlikely to be caused by scarcity of resources or hunger.

Cattle bones were found alongside human remains, indicating adequate food availability. There is no evidence of competition for resources or climate change in Britain in this period. There is also no genetic evidence of different groups living together at the site, suggesting that ethnic or interpersonal tensions may have been at the heart of the conflict. The blunt force trauma to the skulls suggests that the victims were killed intentionally, and the lack of defensive injuries suggests that they were taken by surprise.

What does this tell us about human violence?

Such archaeological studies can provide a more complete picture of prehistoric periods, says the study’s lead author, Rick J. Schulting.

“It contributes to our understanding of past and present human violence and the circumstances in which it occurs,” he told Al Jazeera.

The violence may have been motivated by theft – especially livestock – or social conflicts, such as perceived slights, which escalated into lethal retaliations.

“The extreme violence we saw here is unlikely to be an isolated incident,” Schulting says. He added: “There could have been repercussions when relatives and friends of the victims sought revenge, and this could have led to cycles of violence in the region.”

This suggests that cannibalism was apparently a deliberate act to dehumanize the victims rather than a means of subsistence.

How does this affect our view of Early Bronze Age society?

The study paints a more complex and darker picture of Early Bronze Age Britain, challenging its reputation as a relatively peaceful period.

“Sometimes, one location can change our perceptions,” Schulting explains.

The Bronze Age spanned approximately 2500 to 800 BC, and was marked by advances in metallurgy, agriculture, and trade.

Only a few skeletons with obvious injuries from the Early Bronze Age have been discovered in the UK, suggesting minimal violence. However, in the Neolithic period, about 1,500 years before Charterhouse, and in the middle and late Bronze Age, hilltop fortifications and fortifications began to appear, Schulting points out.

The study reveals the capacity of Early Bronze Age society to engage in large-scale violence, perhaps due to social conflicts or disease outbreaks. Evidence of plague infection in the teeth of two children suggests that the disease may be leading to increased tensions.

Was cannibalism practiced by other cultures in the past?

Archaeological evidence and studies indicate that, throughout history, cannibalism occurred sporadically in certain areas and was not a widespread rule.

For example, a review of prehistoric European sites identified cannibalism in less than 10% of known gatherings, often associated with specific rituals or survival events rather than daily life. Assemblages in archaeology refer to groups of artefacts, bones, or other materials found together in a specific context, such as a burial site or settlement.

In prehistoric Europe, sites such as Gough’s Cave in Cheddar Gorge, located 3 km (1.9 mi) from Charterhouse Warren, provide evidence of human eating as part of funerary rituals. This included deliberate modifications to human remains, such as creating ‘skull cups’ from the skull, most likely for ceremonial purposes, highlighting a symbolic rather than violent context.

Outside of Europe, ritual or survival cannibalism has been reported among ancient Mesoamerican civilizations such as the Aztecs, who practiced human sacrifice and subsequent consumption as part of religious rituals, and among indigenous groups such as the people of Papua New Guinea, who engaged in funerary cannibalism. . (Eating human remains in the morgue) to honor the deceased.

The symbolic nature of these practices has been inferred from ethnographic accounts and archaeological findings showing organized ceremonial processing of human remains.