What the Romans Didn't Do to Us

 

For decades, the story of Maiden Castle in Dorset, England, has been a gripping tale of Roman conquest. Picture it: a massive Iron Age hillfort, one of Britain's largest, stormed by Roman legions in AD 43, its brave Durotrigian defenders cut down in a brutal massacre. Skeletons with horrific wounds, some with spearheads lodged in their bones, were unearthed in the 1930s, and archaeologist Mortimer Wheeler declared them victims of a Roman attack, their deaths "fraught with high tragedy." It’s a story that’s been retold in books, documentaries, and classrooms, cementing Maiden Castle as a symbol of Iron Age Britain’s violent end.

But what if this iconic tale is wrong? A groundbreaking new study by archaeologists Martin Smith, Miles Russell, and Paul Cheetham, published in the Oxford Journal of Archaeology (2025), turns this narrative on its head. Their findings suggest that the Romans didn’t slaughter the people buried at Maiden Castle’s east gate. Instead, the evidence points to a darker, more complex story: Britons killing Britons, long before the Romans set foot in Dorset.

Rewriting History with Radiocarbon Dating

The key to this revelation lies in a new radiocarbon dating program. The researchers analyzed bones from 22 individuals in the so-called "war cemetery" and found that the burials span several generations, from the late first century BC to the mid-first century AD, with a few extending into the second century AD. This timeline rules out a single, catastrophic Roman attack in AD 43. Instead, the dates cluster into three distinct periods of violence, each roughly a generation apart, suggesting multiple episodes of conflict.

These findings dismantle the idea of a one-off massacre. The burials, concentrated near the hillfort’s east gate, include men and women, but young adult males dominate, many bearing gruesome injuries—sword cuts, skull fractures, and spear wounds. Some show "overkill," with far more wounds than needed to kill, hinting at intense, possibly ritualistic violence. Far from being Roman handiwork, these injuries likely came from fellow Britons, perhaps during internal power struggles or raids among the Durotriges, the local tribe.

A Cemetery of Elites, Not Victims

The study also reveals that Maiden Castle wasn’t just a dumping ground for war casualties. The burials are carefully arranged, with bodies placed in distinct styles: some tightly curled in shallow graves with pots or meat joints, others stretched out flat, a style hinting at Roman influence. Some graves even contain Roman artifacts, like a copper ear scoop, suggesting cultural exchange before the conquest. This mix of traditions shows a society in transition, adapting to new ideas while holding onto old ones.

Dietary clues from stable isotope analysis add another layer. The buried individuals ate a protein-rich diet, heavy on meat, unlike the more grain-based diets of ordinary folk at nearby sites like Poundbury. This suggests that those laid to rest at Maiden Castle were high-status—perhaps warriors, nobility, or even local leaders. The hillfort, long abandoned as a fortress, seems to have become a sacred burial ground for an elite few, chosen for their status or violent deaths.

Dynastic Dramas and Double Burials

One of the most intriguing discoveries is the presence of "double burials"—pairs of individuals buried together in single graves, often with severe wounds. These are rare in Iron Age Britain, and the study suggests they could be kin, like siblings or cousins, killed in the same violent event. Recent DNA studies hint that Durotrigian society was matrilocal, with wealth and land passing through women. Could these double burials represent the last of a family line, cut down in feuds over power or inheritance? The researchers draw a striking parallel to a later Roman cemetery in York, where similar burials may reflect a dynastic purge. At Maiden Castle, the violence might stem from internal rivalries, with elite families vying for control as the shadow of Rome loomed.

Why the Romans Got the Blame

So why did Wheeler pin the blame on the Romans? Context matters. In the 1930s, with World War II on the horizon, the idea of an invading force slaughtering locals resonated deeply. Wheeler, a master storyteller, linked the burials to the Roman conquest, crafting a narrative that fit the era’s fears of invasion. As Martin Smith notes, there’s a parallel here: just as Britons in the early first century AD might have felt the growing threat of Rome, Wheeler’s generation faced an uncertain future. This mindset shaped how the evidence was interpreted, turning Maiden Castle into a symbol of resistance against foreign invaders.

But the new evidence tells a different story. The violence at Maiden Castle peaked before the Romans arrived, likely driven by internal tensions—perhaps disputes over leadership, land, or resources. Ironically, the study suggests that this bloodshed largely stopped after the Roman conquest, as the region was pacified under Roman rule.

A New Story for Maiden Castle

This research doesn’t diminish the drama of Maiden Castle; it reframes it. Instead of passive victims of Roman aggression, the Durotriges emerge as active players in a turbulent world, navigating power struggles, cultural shifts, and the looming presence of Rome. The hillfort’s cemetery captures a snapshot of a society under stress, where elite warriors and leaders were laid to rest with care, their wounds a testament to fierce conflicts we’re only beginning to understand.

The study opens new questions. Who were these people, and what drove their conflicts? Could DNA analysis reveal family ties in the double burials? And how did the Durotriges balance tradition with Roman influence before the conquest? As Dr. Miles Russell puts it, the archaeological evidence now shows that "the Roman army committed many atrocities, but this does not appear to be one of them." Maiden Castle’s story is no less tragic, but it’s far richer—a tale of Britons shaping their own destiny, for better or worse, in the shadow of an empire.

Want to dive deeper? Check out the full study in the Oxford Journal of Archaeology (2025)