tour 2 of 5
Religion and ritual in Iron Age Britain
Lindow Man
This man is the most convincing evidence for
human sacrifice in Iron Age Britain. Aged about 25, he met a
horrific death in a bog in north-west England at about the time of
the Roman Conquest of England. Before he was killed he had eaten
unleaven bread made from wheat and barley, and had drunk a drink.
He was taken to the bog. First, a couple of blows from a heavy
object to his head smashed his skull. His throat was then cut and
he was allowed to bleed for a time. Finally, he was placed face
down in a pond in the bog. This horrific and elaborate sequence
strongly suggests that he was sacrificed as part of a ritual. The
drink contained mistletoe, which was sacred to the Druids, and it
is recorded that Druids carried out human
sacrifices.
Touch the
animation button
on the left to compare Lindow Man now to a reconstruction of his
appearance when
alive.