Water Pipeline Workers Stumble Across Dozens of Iron Age Skeletons

[Judi Lynn]

Dating back over 2,000 years, the remains, some possibly victims of human sacrifice, could offer a vital look into the country's ancient past.

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By David Grossman
Apr 15, 2019

Historic finds are common on construction projects in older cities like London or Rome, and the same applies for their smaller neighbors. Oxfordshire is a county in southern England dating back to the 10th century, but a stunning discovery there of 26 human skeletons, some believed to have been part of "human sacrifice," offers a visceral reminder of how closely modern cities overlap on top of history.

The project is meant to protect one of southern England's cherished natural ecosystems, a chalk stream. But digging crews didn't expect to find so many bodies, as well as evidence of dwellings, including animal carcasses, pottery, cutting implements, and a decorative comb.

“The new Thames Water pipeline provided us with an opportunity to examine a number of previously unknown archaeological sites" says Neil Holbrook, chief executive of Cotswold Archaeology, which consulted with Thames Water during the project, in a press statement.

“The Iron Age site at Childrey Warren was particularly fascinating as it provided a glimpse into the beliefs and superstitions of people living in Oxfordshire before the Roman conquest. Evidence elsewhere suggests that burials in pits might have involved human sacrifice. The discovery challenges our perceptions about the past, and invites us to try to understand the beliefs of people who lived and died more than 2,000 years ago.”

More:
https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/archaeology/a27154940/iron-age-skeleton-discovery-oxfordshire/