Iron Age Britain Yields First Physical Evidence of Ritual Human Sacrifice

Archaeologists from Bournemouth University have uncovered physical evidence of theatrical human sacrifices dating back over 2,000 years at an Iron Age site in Dorset, Britain. The remains of a young woman, aged between 25 and 30, were found lying face down on a platform constructed of animal bones, with her throat cut and signs of previous rib injuries, suggesting a brutal and ritualistic execution performed publicly. This discovery corroborates ancient Greek and Roman writings, particularly those of Diodorus Siculus, who described Celtic tribes using human sacrifice for divination by interpreting the convulsions and blood flow of victims. Dr. Miles Russell, leading the excavation, noted that while Romans disapproved of such religious sacrifices, they hypocritically enjoyed similar violence as entertainment, and that this finding challenges earlier assumptions that ancient texts about such practices were merely Roman propaganda. Similar injuries on two other skeletons found at the site suggest this was a repeated ritual practice rather than isolated incidents. The excavation sheds new light on the spiritual and ritualistic aspects of Iron Age societies prior to Roman annexation of Britain.