Cannibalism in Charterhouse Warren

[alanw]

Cambridge University Press: ‘The darker angels of our nature’: Early Bronze Age butchered human remains from Charterhouse Warren, Somerset, UK

Direct physical evidence for violent interpersonal conflict is seen only sporadically in the archaeological record for prehistoric Britain. Human remains from Charterhouse Warren, south-west England, therefore present a unique opportunity for the study of mass violence in the Early Bronze Age. At least 37 men, women and children were killed and butchered, their disarticulated remains thrown into a 15m-deep natural shaft in what is, most plausibly, interpreted as a single event. The authors examine the physical remains and debate the societal tensions that could motivate a level and scale of violence that is unprecedented in British prehistory.

 

[Lankyman]

And they say it's grim up north ...

 

[cap n chris]

It is.

 

[Chris Crowley]

Some of these remains have been reported as testing for Yersinia pestis ie plague of a type not spread by fleas >some experts are suggesting that the incoming Beaker people brought this with them resulting in the decline and almost total extinction of the indigenous neolithic population over a period of several hunrded years (there was an article on this in Nature a couple of months ago)

 

[Long Drop]

Possibly the aftermath of an early visit upon the Wessex by the BEC? Sofa rugby seems pretty tame by comparison.

 

[mikem]

The cave isn't near either hut ...

 

[spelfish]

Proper Mendip cavers will travel miles for a decent bit of meat. And, if there are no sheep, will reluctantly eat subhumans from outside Somerset.

 

[Cosmo Smallpiece]

I don't get why they think this is a single event, like a battle or massacre. Could it not be the taking out of vulnerable individuals or small groups who wandered near their territory?

 

[AR]

The published article in the first post suggests that the layer containing the bones was created in a single infilling event - I haven't followed up the original UBSS article but that will describe the context in better detail. If it had been created over time, in stages then I would expect there would be obvious stratigraphy in the bone layer.

 

[Joe Duxbury]

If the original excavations were done in the 1970s and 1980s, why has it taken 40 - 50 years to come up with these conclusions?

 

[mikem]

At the time they were considered to be "ritual deposits", but archaeology has a massive backlog of study material, so new interpretations await someone taking interest:

Charterhouse Warren Farm Swallet: Exploration, geomorphology, taphonomy and archaeology | University of Bristol Spelæological Society

ubss.org.uk

 

[AR]

As it says in the original article, they re-evaluated the deposit which suggests to me someone has been researching a specific area, come across this deposit and taken a closer look at it resulting in new conclusions.
The nature of the fill layer containing the bones is discussed on p.199-201 (30-32 of the pdf) in the UBSS paper.

 

[pwhole]

People do stuff like this all the time now, so 'unprecedented for the Bronze Age' seems a bit hanky-dabbing.

 

[AR]

People do stuff like this all the time now, so 'unprecedented for the Bronze Age' seems a bit hanky-dabbing.

I think it's more suggesting that this is the first massacre in British prehistory where the evidence suggests the winners ate the losers.

All together now: "I ate my baby, on Silbury Hill..."

 

[pwhole]

Ah, I see. I guess it would have been tempting really.

 

[Roger W]

Nowt new in recycling...