Publication of new archaeological findings in peer-reviewed journals or official announcements by archaeological institutions

Somerset Bronze Age Massacre: 37 Victims Likely Cannibalized at Charterhouse Warren

Dec 16, 2024, 10:00 AM

Archaeologists have uncovered evidence of a horrific massacre from the Bronze Age in Somerset, England, where at least 37 individuals, including men, women, and children, were brutally killed, dismembered, and likely cannibalized. The remains were discovered in a 15-meter-deep natural shaft at Charterhouse Warren, dating back to between 2210 B.C. and 2010 B.C. The victims' bones show signs of blunt force trauma, cut marks, and fractures consistent with dismemberment and possibly the extraction of flesh and marrow. This event, described as unprecedented in British prehistory by Professor Rick Schulting from Oxford University, suggests that the violence was driven by social factors rather than resource competition or ethnic conflict. The presence of cattle bones alongside human remains indicates that the attackers did not eat the victims out of hunger. The findings, published in the journal Antiquity, challenge the notion of a peaceful Early Bronze Age in Britain, highlighting a dark side of human behavior.