Attackers Killed at Least 37 People in Bronze Age Somerset and Likely Ate Some

About 4,000 years ago, attackers killed at least 37 men, women and children in Somerset, England, then butchered the bodies and dropped them into a deep shaft. A 2024 study in Antiquity argues that the attackers likely ate some of the victims.

What the bones show

The remains came from a natural shaft about 15 metres deep. Researchers found cut marks and breakage on the bones that match butchery, and the damage fits the way people process animal carcasses. The dead included adults and children.

Why they say “likely”

Food was not scarce at the time, so hunger does not explain the killings. The Oxford-led team suggests the attackers wanted to humiliate and dehumanize their enemies. The paper uses the word “likely” for the eating, because bones can show butchery but cannot prove who consumed the meat.

What it tells us

The site adds to evidence that violence among Bronze Age groups in Britain could take extreme and ritualized forms. It does not describe all communities of the period, and researchers still debate the motive.

Sources

• Schulting et al., Antiquity (16 December 2024)
• University of Oxford: Analysis of butchered bones suggests violent othering of enemies in Bronze Age Britain
• Science News coverage