History is replete with references to violent punishments for crimes, especially in ancient legal texts. However, a new study presents the earliest physical evidence of a person having had her facial features mutilated as a form of punishment. The researchers also suggest that she might have been scalped and left untreated, ultimately wandering into the English countryside to die. This article delves into the details of this discovery and its implications for our understanding of Anglo-Saxon society.
A Remote, Lonely, and Bloody Death
The Oakridge archaeological site, located 43 kilometers (26.7 miles) from Basingstoke in Hampshire, England, was discovered in the 1960s. This expansive excavation zone includes a Romano-British burial site and an Iron Age settlement. Records indicate that the woman’s mutilated skull was found in an isolated burial between the Oakridge site and the parish of Basing.
A study published in the journal Antiquity details the work of a team of English archaeologists led by Dr. Garrard Cole from University College London. Radiocarbon dating results determined that the woman lived between 776 and 899 AD, pushing the timeline of this horrific practice much earlier than previously thought.
She Was Killed for a Crime “Greater Than Theft”
The DNA analysis of the woman’s dental and cranial remains determined that she was only 15-18 years old when she died. This period predates the criminal codes that prescribed such punishments by about a century, indicating that the practice of facial mutilation was in effect long before it was codified into law. Evidence also suggests that the young Anglo-Saxon woman may have been scalped, further indicating that she faced the severe punishments of 8th/9th century England.
King Edmund’s (AD 921–946) third law code recommended scourging, removal of the scalp, and mutilation of the little finger as penalties for thieving slaves. Similarly, King Cnut’s (AD 1016–1035) second law code called for the removal of the eyes, nose, ears, upper lip, and scalp for crimes greater than theft, and listed the removal of women’s noses and ears for adultery. This woman’s skull represents the first archaeological example of this particularly brutal form of facial disfigurement ever discovered in Anglo-Saxon England.
A Faceless and Shameful Death
The analysis of the woman’s facial wounds showed no signs of healing, suggesting she died shortly after the mutilation, likely from blood loss or infection. Dr. Cole theorizes that the woman was tried for a crime, became a social outcast, and was excluded from the local cemetery as further punishment.
Chemicals known as stable isotopes, which hold genetic information about diet and location, were also studied. These results indicated that the woman was most likely not local, further supporting the hypothesis that she was an outcast. The scientists concluded that her violent death provides brutal confirmation of how Anglo-Saxon society reacted to those who contravened social norms.
It’s Never Been Safer To Be Alive
The woman’s injuries align with documented punishments for female thieving slaves and adulteresses. Although written records of such mutilations do not appear until the tenth century AD, this new study shows that the practice emerged at least a century earlier. This adds to our understanding of the role and societal impact of facial disfigurement and mutilation in early medieval England.
For us, this discovery serves as a stark reminder that we live in a time when it has never been safer to be alive. While modern-day consequences for actions such as adultery may involve legal and financial repercussions, at the very least, we get to keep our faces intact.
Conclusion
The discovery of the mutilated skull of a young Anglo-Saxon woman provides a rare and gruesome glimpse into the brutal practices of early medieval England. This study not only pushes the timeline of such punishments back by a century but also underscores the severe and violent ways in which Anglo-Saxon society dealt with those who violated social norms. As we reflect on this dark chapter of history, we can appreciate the progress humanity has made in terms of justice and human rights.
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