“Unearthed Secrets: 2,000-Year-Old Headless Young Woman From Northern Ireland Reveals Dark Rituals of Ancient Times”
Across Europe, more than 1,000 bog bodies from the Bronze Age to the Middle Ages have been uncovered — the majority of which are found in western and northern Europe. Some of the most famous bog bodies, for instance, include the Tollund Man and the Grauballe Man, both found in Denmark.
Like many other bog bodies, the Ballymacombs More Woman held a dark secret. Her neck vertebrae showed evidence of cuts, pointing to decapitation, and her skull has not been found.
“As is the case for so many Iron Age bog bodies, the young woman suffered a highly violent death which involved the flow of blood from her throat followed by decapitation,” Eileen Murphy, Professor of Archaeology at the School of Natural and Built Environment at Queen’s, told the Independent.
But why did the young woman face such a brutal death? It’s possible that she fell victim to human sacrifice, as was common in the Iron Age. Alternatively, she could have been executed as an outcast or an offering to deities for good harvest, fertility, or even victories in battle.
Further Study Regarding The Ballymacombs More Woman
Police Service of Northern IrelandThe bones of the Ballymacombs More Woman.
Currently, examinations are in progress that will hopefully shed more light on the life of the Ballymacombs More Woman. Researchers are already examining her remains for information about her diet and heritage.
“We’ll hopefully find out information potentially about her diet, potentially about her movement,” Niamh Baker, curator of archaeology at National Museums NI (NMNI), told the BBC. “That will be able to determine information about who she was, perhaps what population she was part of.”
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