Human Sacrifice in Ancient Britain
Summary
Host Tristan and Dr. Miles Russell debate whether Iron Age Britons practiced human sacrifice, analyzing Roman accounts against archaeological evidence. They examine bog bodies like Lindow Man and Old Croghan Man, noting signs of ritualized, theatrical execution. The discussion also covers the Winterbourne Kingston site, where an "outsider" woman was found sacrificed in a storage pit, suggesting the use of captives for appeasing deities.
Topics discussed
Sponsors and introduction
Guest welcome and context of human sacrifice
Roman accounts of Celtic rituals and the Wicker Man
Distinguishing sacrifice from execution and entertainment
Challenges in identifying sacrifice in the archaeological record
Bog bodies and the spiritual significance of wetlands
Preservation and recovery of bog bodies
The 'fourfold death' of Lindow Man
Identity, druids, and the possibility of willing sacrifice
Other bog bodies: Old Croghan, Galloway, and Ballymoney
Head removal and the concept of identity
Sponsors: Granola, Num, Kqu, and Walden
Interpreting trauma in hillfort and cemetery contexts
Dorset settlement: cemeteries vs. storage pit burials
The Winterbourne Woman: discovery and analysis
Provenance and status of the Winterbourne Woman
Comparing bog and storage pit sacrifice contexts
Sponsor: Pura fragrance
Further storage pit burials and crime scene analysis
Bound bodies and the nature of the death
Roman perspectives on punishment vs. sacrifice
Afterlife beliefs and the disposal of the dead
Social status of the sacrificed: elites vs. outsiders
Critiquing Roman sources and the 'barbarian' narrative
The role of human sacrifice in Iron Age society
Closing remarks and subscription call to action
Sponsor: Experian Boost
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