Humans suffered many more deaths during the Iron Age than today, but many final moments were still much less preferable than others. In fact, certain examples discovered in the Iberian Peninsula (much of what is now Spain and Portugal) are so crude that some archaeologists classify them in their own collection of “bad deaths.” After recently examining remains originally excavated in 2010, researchers say that two men buried more than 2,200 years ago about 115 kilometers south of Madrid certainly fall within the definition of the term bad death.

The bodies were discovered outside the old fortification (or oppidum) known as Cerro de las Cabezas, and dates from the late 2nd or early 3rd century BC During that time, the Iberians of southern and eastern Spain typically cremated their dead before burying the ashes in urns, often alongside various items indicating their social status and identity.

However, the two men were buried under very different circumstances. Instead of burials in cemeteries, archaeologists found them outside the settlement’s southeastern defensive wall, without any sign of formal graves, coffins or a considered disposition of their bodies. This suggests a quick disposal and possibly even a hasty burial.

They also did not die of natural causes. The first man (probably between 35 and 45 years old) had already suffered a blow to the front of his skull a few weeks before his death. While that did not kill him, a deep cut to the lower right side of his femur with a sharp weapon likely caused his death due to blood loss. The second individual was between 40 and 59 years old and was clearly decapitated.

To make things stranger, archaeologists also found six deer antlers above and below the bodies. Some of the specimens measured more than a meter in length. As Arkeonews points out, Iberian culture valued deer antlers for their usefulness and symbolism. Researchers have previously found numerous examples from the period in votive deposits, shrine spaces and other ritual contexts across the peninsula. Knowing this, the study’s authors theorize that the bodies, location, and antler attachments suggest they were potentially part of a protection or settlement ritual.

Unfortunately, archaeologists do not have enough information to fully understand this macabre Iron Age scene. More detailed isotopic analysis could not determine whether the men were locals, enemy aliens or prisoners, and the lack of additional context means their executions remain a mystery. At the very least, it is very clear that they suffered particularly serious deaths.

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