A gruesome murder mystery plays out in the south of England. However, in this case there is no chance of bringing the perpetrators to justice. However, the team archaeologists from Bournemouth University hope to use this cold case to better understand the culture of the 2,000-year-old man. Iron Age a tribe whose beliefs and rituals probably included human sacrifice.
Durotriges – a Celtic tribe that lived in what is now southern England until Roman conquest in the 1st century AD. Extensive archaeological excavations and DNA analysis shows that the group was largely matrilineal, meaning that both personal inheritance and family lineage were passed through women rather than men. This contradicts many experts' long-held assumptions about prehistoric gender roles in Europe, although it is supported by ancient ideas. Roman historical documents it tells of Celtic women in positions of leadership and land ownership.
“This is the first time that evidence of matrilineal societies has been documented in Western European prehistory,” archaeologist Miles Russell. the university said in a statement.
Despite the likely matrilineal social organization, at least some women here were not spared the cruel fate of sacrifice. Russell and his colleagues recently discovered the remains of a teenage Iron Age girl buried face down in a hole in Dorset. The lack of accompanying funerary objects and the arrangement of her body do not correspond to typical Durotrigan burials. Closer examination revealed signs of trauma to her arms and upper torso, as well as indications that she may have been restrained at the wrists. Archaeologists believe that all of these signs point to some form of ceremonial or religious death.
“This appears to be a human execution carried out in a very theatrical manner,” Russell added in a statement to Archanews.
Although this is one of the oldest skeletal remains of its kind found in the UK, it is not the only one. The team's recent discovery marks the third grave discovered young women buried face down with signs of injury at the Dorset archaeological site. There are many questions surrounding these people, including their origins and possible role in society.
Researchers now hope to conduct further DNA and isotope analysis from the latest excavations to learn details such as the woman's diet, health and even her ancestry. This information will clarify whether the apparent victims were members of the Durotriges tribe or outsiders brought in to perform a dark ritual role.
