The workers and engineers of a U.K. utility company have discovered dozens of human skeletons believed to be from the Iron Age and Roman periods, it has been reported.
The skeletons of 26 people were discovered by the workers of Thames Water who were laying down pipes more than 50 miles outside London and archaeologists believe soem of them may have belonged to victims of ‘human sacrifice’.
Neil Holbrook, the chief executive of Costwold Archaeology, the organization which excavated the site, has told CBS News “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,” Holbrook said. “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,” he added.
Evidence of dwellings, animal carcasses and household items including pottery, cutting implements and a decorative comb were also found.
