Victim of human sacrifice discovered in old Dorset Iron Age settlement

The dig has been ongoing for over 15 years. Credit: Bournemouth University

A victim of a human sacrifice has been discovered in central Dorset by staff and students from Bournemouth University.

Archaeologists have uncovered new information about the life and death of a young Iron Age woman in Dorset, who they believe could have been murdered as a human sacrifice.

The more than 2000-year-old case is extremely rare, and the team says it is 'physical evidence' that sacrifices took place in Iron Age Britain.

Their analysis suggests she was in her late twenties when she died and had lived a physically demanding and hard-working life.

They also found that she suffered damage to one of her ribs, possibly inflicted through violence, weeks before she was killed by a stab wound to her neck.

The iron age lady was found lying on carefully arranged animal bones. Credit: Bournemouth University

“In the other burials we have found, the deceased people appear to have been carefully positioned in the pit and treated with respect, but this poor woman hasn’t,” explained Dr Martin Smith, Associate Professor in Forensic and Biological Anthropology at Bournemouth University.

“We have also previously found ceramic pots and remains of joints of meat next to human remains, which we believe are offerings for the afterlife. This was nothing like that.

"The young woman was found lying face down on top of a strange, deliberately constructed crescent shaped arrangement of animal bone at the bottom of a pit, so it looks like she was killed as part of an offering,” he added.

By studying the bones, the archaeologists have been able to discover more information about the victim’s life and tell some of her story.

Her spine showed signs of significant degeneration and arthritic change for her young age, and she also had damage to some of the discs between her vertebrae. This indicates exertion from regular hard work.

She also had well developed and rugged muscle attachments which is another sign of a rigorous and continuous physical activity.

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