OXFORD archaeologists have discovered approximately 40 decapitated skeletons in a large Roman cemetery.
The bodies are among 425 exhumed by HS2 archaeologists at the cemetery in Fleet Marston, Buckinghamshire.
There are several instances of the head being placed between the legs or next to the feet.
HS2 Ltd said this could be due to the people being buried being ‘criminals or a type of outcast’.
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The excavation was carried out over more than a year by Oxford Archaeology, and Cotswold Archaeology.
Richard Brown, senior project manager at Oxford Archaeology, said: “The excavation is significant in both enabling a clear characterisation of this Roman town but also a study of many of its inhabitants.
“Along with several new Roman settlement sites discovered during the HS2 works, it enhances and populates the map of Roman Buckinghamshire.”
The bodies, discovered on the route of the high-speed railway, are being held in storage for further analysis.
Archaeologists also discovered more than 1,200 coins, and brooches, pins and spoons.
Fleet Marston is one of more than 100 archaeological sites examined by HS2 since 2018, on the route of the first phase of the railway between London and Birmingham.
Helen Wass, HS2 Ltd’s head of heritage, said: “The large Roman cemetery at Fleet Marston will enable us to gain a detailed insight into the residents of Fleet Marston and the wider Roman Britain landscape.
“All human remains uncovered will be treated with dignity, care and respect, and our discoveries will be shared with the community.”
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