Researchers have discovered grisly evidence of a ritualistic sacrifice at an ancient English fort.
Archaeologists have been excavating Maiden Castle in Dorset, which stands as one of Europe's largest and most complex Iron Age hill forts.
A young male, aged between 20 and 30, was discovered buried in a pit at Maiden Castle in highly unusual circumstances. Unlike typical Iron Age burials, this individual appeared to be sitting upright.
The Smithsonian Channel's documentary "Mystic Britain" explored this finding as a possible "sacrifice" linked to the fort's expansion around 350 BC.
Maiden Castle in Dorset
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His remains were found at the base of a large v-shaped ditch that had been filled in to accommodate new fortifications. Archaeologists believe this burial may have been symbolic, marking the completion of construction work.
Similar discoveries have been made at other Iron Age hill forts across Britain. At Danebury in Hampshire, excavations in the 1970s revealed another mysterious burial.
Professor Sir Barry Cunliffe from the University of Oxford and his team uncovered a pit containing only a human pelvis. The individual's femurs were found scattered elsewhere at the site.
Marks on the bones indicated that the body had been deliberately dismembered.
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Maiden Castle near Dorchester, Dorset is the largest and most complex Iron Age hillfort
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Experts remain uncertain whether this dismemberment occurred before or after death. These findings suggest Iron Age Britain had complex burial rites.
The practices potentially involved ritualistic ceremonies or acts of defleshing. Such discoveries provide valuable insights into the spiritual and cultural practices of Britain's ancient inhabitants.
Maiden Castle was a major political, economic, and military centre during its peak. It belonged to the Durotriges, a Celtic tribe that controlled much of what is now Dorset and Somerset, reports Daily Express.
The fort's strategic importance is evident in its vast defensive structures. In AD 43, the fort fell during the Roman conquest of Britain. Evidence of this battle includes sling stones, iron weapons and skeletons with violent injuries.
Today, Maiden Castle stands as a key reminder of Britain's ancient past.
Visitors can walk along its towering earthworks and explore the remains of ancient structures.
