The remains, belonging to at least 37 men, women, and children, suggest a brutal massacre between 2200 B.C. and 2000 B.C., making it the most violent event ever recorded in British prehistory.
The bones were found by cavers at the bottom of a 15-meter-deep natural shaft at Charterhouse Warren, near Cheddar Gorge. After a brief examination in the 1970s, they were placed in boxes and largely forgotten for decades.
New research and disturbing findings
The study led by Rick Schulting, professor of archaeology at the University of Oxford, has revealed disturbing details about what happened to the victims. These individuals suffered violent deaths, and some of their remains show clear signs of cannibalism.
The analysis shows that fatal blows crushed many victims’ skulls. After death, their bodies were cut apart, with arm and leg bones broken open to extract the bone marrow. Marks on hand and foot bones indicate human teeth chewed them.
Violence rare in Bronze Age Britain
Early Bronze Age Britain is typically known for peaceful activities, such as farming, pottery-making, and trade. Researchers have focused on how ancient people lived and buried their dead. Discussions about warfare or mass killings were rare simply because no evidence existed — until this discovery.
Schulting states, “For the early bronze age in Britain, we have very little evidence for violence.” He further added, “There have been no real discussions of warfare or large-scale violence in that period, purely through lack of evidence.”
Cannibalism during this period was also unusual. As Schulting said, “If this was any in any way ‘normal,’ you would expect to find some evidence for this in other sites. We have hundreds of skeletons from this period, and you just don’t see things like this.”
A massacre of an entire community
Nearly half of the victims were children, suggesting that an entire community may have been wiped out in a single, brutal event. The attackers’ intent may have been to terrify other regional communities. The scalping, butchering, and eating of the victims likely sent a chilling message.
“Whoever did this would have been feared,” Schulting said. “This would have resonated, I think, through time and space in that particular region, probably for generations, as something horrible that happened here.”
While the exact reasons for the massacre remain unknown, Schulting speculates it could have been an act of revenge or a warning to others. However, there is no direct evidence to confirm this theory.
“Charterhouse Warren is one of those rare archaeological sites that challenges the way we think about the past,” Schulting said. “It is a stark reminder that people in prehistory could match more recent atrocities and shines a light on a dark side of human behaviour.”
Isolation of the incident
The researchers believe the massacre at Charterhouse Warren was not an isolated incident. Its significance lies in revealing violence previously unseen in Britain’s early history.
The study has sparked new interest in re-examining other archaeological sites for overlooked evidence of prehistoric violence. Charterhouse Warren is now a rare and chilling window into a violent chapter of Britain’s ancient past.