If you hung out in Western Europe during the Iron Age , you did n’t want to get on thewrong side of the Gauls . Ancient text often talk about the spoilt behavior of this light-haired - headed band of Gaelic peoples , most notably exact that they used to decapitate their slain contender , embalmtheir read/write head , then stick them on spike – the ultimate “ do n’t mess with us ” subject matter for any would - be opposition . However , many of these accounts were written by their foeman , and some historians argue that they were made up to make the Gauls bet regretful .
For the first time , scientists have used chemical analytic thinking to essay that this is n’t the stuff and nonsense of misshapen historical memory , cover that the Gauls really did perform this grisly ritual on their enemies in theJournal of Archaeological Science .
At an excavation website in Le Cailar in the picturesque portion of southern France , archeologist came across a number of skulls from the third century BCE that appear to have been purposefully discerp from the spine . They took them back to the lab to see whether they show any traces of chemical that would hint the heads had been bear on .
They discovered that six of the 11 human skull contained diterpenoid , a key biomarker of conifer resin , the gooey stuff that seep out of trees . unmistakably , we know from historic written source that the Gauls used oil derived from various type of conifers , namely cedarwood trees , to preserve body parts .
The ancient Greek historiographer Strabo ( 64/63 BCE to 24 CE ) write in his seminal bookGeography : “ When they depart from the fight they hang the heads of their enemies from the neck of their horses , and , when they have brought them abode , nail the spectacle to the incoming of their homes .
“ The heads of enemies of high reputation , however , they used to embalm in cedar - oil and exhibit to alien , and they would not deign to give them back even for a ransom of an adequate weight of amber . ”
If you ’re bear lots of lop human heads plant around your settlement , conifer oils are probably a upright approximation . Many of these oils smack nice – true pine new ! – and are fuck to hold anti - bacterial properties . It ’s potential that they used the preserve oil to keep the heads inviolate , meaning more head could be on display before they turned into a nasty sludgy mess .
However , the investigator have another interesting theory . Réjane Roure , co - author of the written report from Paul Valéry University of Montpellier , toldThe Guardianthat they suspect the Gauls might have also been preserve the head to trade them .
Perhaps the lop question of a rival was a must - have add-on for any ego - respecting Iron Age colonisation in Northern Europe .
