Archaeologists In Spain Unearthed The Remains Of A Celtic Warrior Whose Head Was Cut Off And Put On Display By The Romans
Santiago D. Domnguez-SoleraThe skull of the decapitated Celtic warrior that was found among the rubble of a Roman-era fort in Spain.Beneath the rubble of an ancient wall in Spain, archaeologists unearthed the skull of a Celtic warrior who fought against invading Roman forces 2,000 years ago. After he was killed, he was decapitated, and had his head placed upon the forts walls as a warning.The skull dates back to 25 B.C.E., during a series of wars between the Romans and the Cantabri, Celtic warriors who lived in northern Spain. It was found during excavations at La Loma (The Hill), where signs of a great battle were also found, including hundreds of projectiles, armor fragments, and pieces of weaponry.The Roman Siege Of La Loma That Ended With The Celtic Warriors DecapitationOnce a fortified Celtic town, La Loma was besieged by the Romans during the Cantabrian Wars (29 to 16 B.C.E.) as the forces of the first Roman emperor Augustus fought for control of the Iberian Peninsula. Since then, it has largely remained untouched, the aftermath of the battle still painting a picture of the forts destruction 2,000 years ago.The Romans had engaged in brutal hand-to-hand combat with the Cantabri, and in the final hours of the conflict, unleashed a volley of arrows upon the fort that decimated the Celtic fighters. In celebration of their victory, the Romans then tore down the walls of the fort, leaving it in ruins. Luckily for modern archaeologists, this provided an excellent opportunity for study.Santiago D. Domnguez-SoleraThe skull was displayed by the Romans for months after the warrior was killed.La Loma was the focus of some archaeological excavations in the early 2000s, during which time researchers documented part of the defensive structures of the fort, in addition to the main Roman camp and two known secondary camps.Then, in 2017, a new phase of research at the site began.It was during this stage, in 2020, when archaeologists came across the lone skull in the collapsed rubble of a stone wall, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Roman Archaeology. Although it was fractured and scattered about the corner of the fort, researchers noted that it clearly belonged with the layer of debris associated with the collapse of the defensive walls, given the lack of any grave or other remains nearby.To recover the skull, archaeologists excavated the rubble, then sifted through it until they had gathered every fragment of skull they could find. Subsequent fieldwork confirmed that no other fragments remained at the site, though some pieces were still missing from the skull. Researchers say these missing pieces could likely be explained by erosion.With what they could gather of the skull now in their possession, researchers carried out a DNA analysis of the remains to determine who, exactly, they belonged to.The Roman Display Of Enemies Heads As An Intimidation TacticThe results of this analysis showed that the skull likely belonged to a local man around the age of 45 years old. Other details of the skull bones notably their light color and the fact that they were fragmented suggested that it had been left out in the open and exposed to the elements, not buried, supporting the idea that the Romans had placed it on display as a show of intimidation to their enemies.Santiago D. Domnguez-SoleraA posterior view of the decapitated Celtic warriors skull.Study lead author, and director of Heroica Archaeology and Cultural Heritage, Santiago Domnguez-Solera told Live Science that the skull probably fragmented during the demolition of the walls, noting that it had been exposed for a few months prior to that point.Researchers also pointed out that the head was still partially fresh when the walls were torn down, further suggesting a fairly short Roman occupation of the fort after the battle ended.It was rather common for Roman legions to display the bodies of their enemies in various ways, which researchers describe as strategies of intimidation. This enemy soldiers head was likely a similar sort of war trophy, though the exact details of how it was displayed are unclear. There is no evidence on the skull, for instance, to suggest that the head had been impaled on a spike.For now, at least, the precise details of this macabre display remain partly shrouded in mystery.After reading about this ancient skull of a decapitated warrior, learn about the Roman Empires Pax Romana period, the time of relative peace that lasted nearly two centuries. Then, learn about the history of when Rome actually fell.The post Archaeologists In Spain Unearthed The Remains Of A Celtic Warrior Whose Head Was Cut Off And Put On Display By The Romans appeared first on All That's Interesting.
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