Shocking discovery: 4,000-year-old cannibalism evidence found in Bronze Age massacre in UK
(Left and right) Examples of skulls from the collection of bones, with evidence for blunt force trauma and cut marks, 2024. (Photo via Schulting et al. Antiquity)
Scientists have uncovered harrowing evidence of cannibalistic practices dating back approximately 4,000 years in England. A detailed analysis of human remains found in Somerset suggests that victims of a violent attack were consumed in what could be a ritualistic act.
3,000 bone fragments analyzed from massacre
The study examined around 3,000 bone fragments believed to belong to 37 individuals, unearthed from a 15-meter-deep pit in Somerset. Researchers propose these individuals were slaughtered during a large-scale attack, considered the most significant act of violence recorded in England during the Bronze Age.
The bones showed signs of being butchered with stone tools, indicating that the victims were consumed by their attackers, potentially for ritual purposes. Experts believe this massacre might have eradicated an entire Early Bronze Age community, typically comprising 50 to 100 people.
Cannibalism as a terrifying message
Professor Rick Schulting of Oxford University’s Archaeology Department, one of the study’s authors, stated, “The victims may have been eaten to send a horrifying message or to dehumanize them. If these marks were found on animal bones, we would unequivocally identify them as evidence of butchery.”
Schulting also suggested that the attack may have been driven by vengeance, with its traumatic impact lingering across generations.
Not driven by hunger
Interestingly, the researchers noted that animal remains found alongside the human bones indicate food scarcity was not the motive. Instead, the cannibalism appears to have been a deliberate act unrelated to survival.
Historic discovery
This discovery marks the first documented case of cannibalism in Britain during the Bronze Age. The victims’ remains, initially found in the 1970s by cavers exploring the Charterhouse Warren caves in Mendip Hills, were recently reanalyzed using advanced techniques.
The findings were published in the journal Antiquity and shed light on the complex and violent rituals of Early Bronze Age communities.
What is cannibalism?
Cannibalism, the act of consuming human flesh, has historically been associated with religious, ritualistic, or survival motives, often evoking both fascination and horror.
