Roman massacre site discovered at Maiden Castle debunked in new study
The massacre is now confirmed to have never happened, according to research
Last updated 22nd May 2025
New research has found that a Dorset site which had been believed to be that of a Roman massacre was actually not during one event at all.
The study, conducted by Bournemouth University found that bodies that had been unearthed at Maiden Castle near Dorchester in a "war-cemetery" were not killed in one single event, but instead a collection of different battles.
Following some re-analysis of the burial sites, it was found that instead of one large battle, a number of different people had died in the same place during different spates of intense violence.
Researchers have used carbon dating to reveal the timeline of battles, which spanned from the first century BC to the first century AD.
During this time, there was believed to be large turmoil in England as infighting in the area led to instability and the eventual conquering of Britain by the Roman Empire.
The site was uncovered during an archaeological dig in 1936, where several skeletons had been found showing clear evidence of trauma to the head.
At the time, it was believed that all the skeletons had dated from the same time around the Roman Conquest; however, this has now been debunked.
Speaking on the research, Dr Martin Smith from Bournemouth University - who analysed the bodies - said: “The find of dozens of human skeletons displaying lethal weapon injuries was never in doubt.
"However, by undertaking a systematic programme of radiocarbon dating we have been able to establish that these individuals died over a period of decades, rather than a single terrible event."
He added that the previous understanding had been coloured by the "imminent threat of invasion" in the run-up to World War II.
"But having said that there may in fact be parallels that are still relevant," he continued. "Just as on the other side of the Channel in 1944 it was clear to all that an invasion was coming, although no one could be sure exactly where or when, similarly the rise in conflict in southern Britain may be a result of growing concerns that an invasion by Rome was only a matter of time."