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Ancient Celts embalmed enemy heads as trophies

Plant-based compounds kept foul odours and bacteria at bay.
Celtic sculpture of a beheaded head, held by a hand

A hand grasps a severed head in this Celtic sculpture, which dates to the 2nd or 3rd century BC and depicts the Celtic custom of taking foes’ heads for display. Credit: akg-images/Erich Lessing

A cache of human bones confirms historical accounts that the ancient Celts decapitated their enemies and embalmed the heads for public display.

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Nature 563, 447 (2018)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-018-07375-0

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