New research has cast fresh light on a long-standing archaeological mystery, revealing that a brutal mass killing once attributed to the Roman invasion of Britain was in fact the result of internecine conflict between Iron Age tribal elites.
A total of 62 skeletons—many with skulls “smashed to oblivion”—were originally unearthed in 1936 at a mass burial site at Maiden Castle in Dorset. For decades, it was widely believed that these individuals perished during the Roman assault on Britain in AD43, a narrative that resonated with contemporary anxieties in the 1930s about a looming Nazi threat.
However, archaeologist Dr Miles Russell of Bournemouth University has used modern carbon-dating techniques to determine that the remains actually date back to the first century AD, well before the Roman conquest.
“These individuals died violently, and with clear signs of overkill,” Dr Russell told The Independent. “This wasn’t random violence – it was targeted, dynastic slaughter. Game of Thrones-style barons, one tribe wiping out another to secure power.”
Dr Russell explained that the victims appeared to be aristocrats—possibly leaders or members of an elite ruling class—who were executed and then buried with honour, a practice not typically extended to criminals or lower-class individuals.
“It’s likely they were rivals for local power. Eliminating them was not only political but symbolic—an effort to eradicate an entire bloodline,” he added.
The theory that the remains were casualties of a Roman attack was originally proposed by Sir Mortimer Wheeler, who led the 1930s excavation of Maiden Castle. His interpretation was shaped by the fact that the hill fort was still occupied in AD43, and by the absence of modern dating technologies available at the time.
According to Historic England, Wheeler’s dramatic interpretation of a Roman massacre may also have helped secure funding during an era when archaeological research faced significant financial constraints.
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“Wheeler’s assumption wasn’t unreasonable given the knowledge of the time,” said Dr Russell. “But with advanced dating methods today, we can now see that these deaths occurred earlier and were part of internal British conflict, not Roman aggression.”
Describing the victims as “thugs with resources and private armies,” Dr Russell said the executions likely took place publicly, in full view of the local population. “The hill fort dominated the landscape. This was a show of power.”
Maiden Castle, one of the largest Iron Age hill forts in Europe, spans an area equivalent to 50 football pitches. Built around 2,400 years ago, its vast ramparts once housed hundreds of inhabitants.
Despite its imposing structure, the site was abandoned within a few decades of the Roman arrival in Britain. The Romans would go on to establish the town of Dorchester to the north-east, designating it the regional capital of the Durotriges tribe.
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The findings not only reshape our understanding of one of Britain’s most iconic prehistoric sites, but also challenge long-held assumptions about the nature of violence in Iron Age society—suggesting that power struggles between local rulers may have been just as brutal and complex as any foreign invasion.
