A demographic analysis of Maiden Castle hillfort: Evidence for conflict in the late Iron Age and early Roman period

Rebecca C Redfern; Andrew T Chamberlain

doi:10.1016/j.ijpp.2011.02.004

A demographic analysis of Maiden Castle hillfort: Evidence for conflict in the late Iron Age and early Roman period

Int J Paleopathol. 2011 Mar;1(1):68-73. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpp.2011.02.004. Epub 2011 Mar 27.

Authors

Rebecca C Redfern¹, Andrew T Chamberlain²

Affiliations

¹ Centre for Human Bioarchaeology, Department of Archaeological Collections and Archive, Museum of London, 150 London Wall, ECY 5HN, England, United Kingdom.
² Department of Archaeology, University of Sheffield, Northgate House, West Street, Sheffield S1 4ET, England, United Kingdom.

PMID: 29539345
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpp.2011.02.004

Abstract

The late Iron Age human remains from the British hillfort of Maiden Castle are frequently cited within the archaeological and bioarchaeological literature as providing evidence for conﬂict. This interpretation is based on osteological work undertaken in the late 1930s. In order to test the validity of using this sample in conflict research, the authors undertook a detailed analysis of the site's demography in comparison with contemporary late Iron Age attritional cemeteries from Dorset (England) and additional conﬂict mortality data. These results showed that the 1st century BC to 1st century AD samples conformed to a catastrophic proﬁle, as greater numbers of young adult males had been buried during this phase of occupation. In combination with new bioarchaeological ﬁndings and the identiﬁcation of an embedded Roman projectile weapon, we conclude that individuals had died during an episode of warfare, one of which probably included the Roman conquest of 43AD.