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Learners at a well-known university in the U.K. recently revealed what seems to be a location for historical executions just outside the city — going back 1,200 years.
The University of Cambridge made the announcement regarding the find, situated in Wandlebury Country Park, which is to the south of Cambridge, in a news statement on Feb. 4. The digging occurred during the spring and summer months of 2025.
The burial can be traced back to the 9th century A.D., around the period when Vikings took control of the region.
The excavation site “might be from a time when the location was a ‘boundary area’ during the struggle between the kingdom of Mercia, run by Saxons, and the kingdom of East Anglia,” the statement mentioned.
The remains of approximately 10 young males were discovered — prompting queries regarding whether the deaths were tied to the boundary struggle or legal killings.
At the University of Cambridge, archaeologists revealed a burial area dating back 1,200 years thought to be from the 9th century A.D. (Cambridge Archaeological Unit/David Matzliach)
“Strangely, the mass grave included a combination of full and broken remains, such as a group of skulls without related bodies and a ‘pile of legs,’ along with four full skeletons, some positioned in ways that indicate they were restrained,” the statement read.
As per Oscar Aldred, an archaeologist with the Cambridge Archaeological Unit, there are two key pieces of evidence that point to the area as being a location for executions.
Firstly, there’s the location itself.
“The context of the gravesite in association [to] an old Iron Age fort … makes it an ideal location for burials after executions,” Aldred told Fox News Digital.
In Wandlebury Country Park, which sits to the south of Cambridge, archaeologists found the mass grave during the spring and summer digging. (Cambridge Archaeological Unit/David Matzliach)
“Execution locations from that time are generally on the edge of a domain, but are also in prominent spots in the area.”
The second factor, the archaeologist continued, is proof of beheadings.
At least one set of bones displayed “obvious indications of decapitation” — specifically, markings from cuts and chops on the left part of the lower jaw.
“If this was a burial site from a war, we’d expect to see additional damage to the bones, especially the arms and legs, as a result of combat injuries,” Aldred commented.
“Considering it’s an execution site, the location is suitable, in a manner of speaking.”
“At the moment, we lack this information [at] our fingertips, as we haven’t yet assessed all the individuals found in the burial area.”
He highlighted the importance of the find, saying that finding piled skulls and limbs alongside complete skeletons is “not very typical at all.”
“It’s very intriguing,” he stated. “The people [who passed] were put there in a state of decay, which meant they couldn’t stay in one piece, so to speak.”
Aldred continued, “We need to put in more effort to properly understand the arrangement of bones within the burial site.”
Depicted on the right is a representation of a 9th-century battle involving Mercians. The remains were discovered close to an Iron Age fort. (Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Even though there’s no evidence yet of a battle in Wandlebury, records show that the location was used as a gathering spot for “hundreds,” or Anglo-Saxon regional groups.
“You might expect judicial gatherings to occur at that kind of place, where individuals would come together and make significant decisions like execution orders,” Aldred stated regarding the area.
“So, in the context of an execution, the setting fits, so to speak.”
Currently, researchers are performing DNA, isotope and radiocarbon analyses to learn the identities of the men and the exact year of their deaths.
One expert said, “We need to work harder on understanding how the bones are arranged within the burial area.” (Cambridge Archaeological Unit/David Matzliach)
Aldred also mentioned that more investigation will reveal why the remains were arranged in the specific way they were.
“We’re teaming up with associates at the University of Cambridge to delve into these questions,” he said.
“But for the time being, our focus is on posing the questions as opposed to providing definitive answers.”