Decapitation burials in Roman Britain

[Duncan Head]

Nigel Tallis has just posted these links to the dbmmlist:

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/britannia/article/extreme-justice-decapitations-and-prone-burials-in-three-late-roman-cemeteries-at-knobbs-farm-cambridgeshire/5245B254BC93CAD4DB06F1C20E9D332C
 
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-57189875
 
Interesting. Military relevance is that decapitation was apparently by the sword, and probably an army responsibility.

[Imperial Dave]

thanks Duncan.....very interesting if somewhat gruesome

[Anton]

Yes, thanks Duncan.  It's one to ponder. 

If memory serves, citizens were entitled to execution by decapitation with the sword.  The upper classes were exempt from torture before execution not so the lower classes.  The presence of individuals from outside of the Empire is interesting.

[Dangun]

Interesting gender distribution of decapitations.