Mystery of the Headless Romans
Religion
Decapitation could be the result of a Celtic head cult, as the Celts venerated the head as the seat of the soul. Such beliefs persisted into the Roman period. These and the additional injuries are reminiscent of ritual killing practiced in the Celtic world, with victims often killed in three different ways.
Human sacrifice was carried out during the Roman period. Although the killing of adults for religious reasons was banned by the Emperor Augustus, this suggests that such killings did take place, and an imperial edict does not necessarily mean that such practices ceased!
Post-mortem decapitation seems to have been carried out by the Romans to prevent some people returning as ghosts.
Deposits of horse and other animal bones with some the burials, along with other grave goods, such as pottery, suggest that ritual played a part in many of the burials.
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