Severed human skulls pierced with iron nails were found at Puig Castellar near Barcelona and Ullastret in Girona, northeastern Spain. Isotope analysis reveals the selection was complex — at Puig Castellar, only 1 of 4 individuals had local chemical signatures while 3 were non-local. Predominantly male individuals were chosen. Skulls were displayed on settlement walls and doorways, with some found in domestic areas suggesting intimate ritual contexts. Aligns with Greek and Roman accounts of Gaulish head-taking practices.
Iron Age Iberians nailed skulls to walls in complex ritual practices
Key facts
- Severed human skulls pierced with iron nails found at two key sites in northeastern Spain
- Sites: Puig Castellet near Barcelona and Olèrdola in province of Girona
- Both locations were Iron Age hubs of community life
- Isotope analysis used to study skulls
- At Puig Castellet: only one of four individuals had local chemical signature, three were non-local
- At Olèrdola: two of three individuals seem local, one non-local
- Skulls displayed near settlement walls suggesting prominent display
- Some heads discovered in domestic areas hinting at intimate ritualistic context
- Displayed on walls or doorways of adjacent houses
- Selection of individuals for ritual was more complex than initially thought
- Predominantly male individuals selected for ritual
- Findings align with historical accounts from Greek and Roman writers describing similar practices among Gauls and Iberian mercenaries
- Enemies' heads impaled on spears or stored in boxes in Iron Age Europe
Sources
popsci.com
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