Decapitated Remains of a Woman Indicate Violent Death From Ritual Practice, Preserved as a 'Bog Body'

Human sacrifices were practiced widely in ancient times for various reasons. People used to follow certain rituals that involved brutal sacrifices to please religious figures as well. Recently, a well-preserved remains of a woman was unearthed from a peat bog in Northern Ireland, according to the National Museum NI. The discovery became known as the 'Ballymacombs More Woman' and contradicted the earlier assumptions about the skeletal remains belonging to a teenage boy.

It was deduced that the remains belonged to a young woman who lived more than 2,000 years ago during the Iron Age. After conducting an osteoarchaeological study on the remains, the experts figured that the woman was around 17 to 22 years old at the time of her death. Her height was approximately 5 feet 6 inches, making her relatively tall for a woman of that time. Most of the bodies recovered from this period so far belonged to males. This is why, the discovery of the 'Ballymacombs More Woman' is marked as an important find. 

Experts were investigating the Bellaghy region of County Londonderry, suspecting the site was a modern crime scene in October 2023. During their routine peat extraction, the skeletal fragments were first pulled out. Later forensic reports proved that the human remains dated between 343 B.C.E. and 1 B.C.E. The National Museum of Northern Ireland assembled a team of archaeologists, forensic experts, and historians who worked together to gain more information about the body found in the bog.

"As is the case for so many Iron Age bog bodies, the young woman suffered a highly violent death that involved the flow of blood from her throat, followed by decapitation. The head was taken away, but the body was left where it fell, only to be discovered by machine workers some 2,000 years later," Eileen Murphy, a professor of Archaeology at Queen’s University Belfast who led the osteological assessment, revealed per the site. Murphy also mentioned that further scientific analysis included DNA analysis which might yield more fascinating facts about the remains. It was also revealed that the 'Ballymacombs More Woman' had cut marks on the neck bones, hinting at how she might have been beheaded as a part of a ritual sacrifice.

Niamh Baker, the curator of Archaeology at National Museums NI, explained that the body is certainly one of the most important archaeological discoveries made so far in Ireland. "This important discovery gives us a glimpse into the lives of the people of our ancient past and offers insights into how they lived, interacted with their environment, and developed their cultures. We immediately understood how a thorough research process would be required to ensure that this discovery was managed professionally and ethically to unlock her valuable story," she mentioned. Many such bodies that were previously discovered in the region had signs of violent deaths.

There are no written records to confirm the theory but archaeological finds hinted towards ritualistic killings across Europe during the Iron Age. Along with the body, the team that extracted the remains from the bog also found a woven item made from plants near the body. Experts are still analyzing the piece of fabric to determine its purpose. The Ballymacombs More Woman was then moved from the State Pathology Lab to National Museums NI, stated the Archaeology News Online Magazine. The museum is working with Queen’s University Belfast, Trinity College Dublin, and the University of Copenhagen to continue studying this discovery.