A mass grave discovered in 1857 at Spettisbury Rings contained about 80 skeletons with perimortem sword cuts, spinal ballista bolt injuries, and crushing trauma entirely consistent with a Roman assault. This is among the most direct osteological evidence for conquest-period violence anywhere in Britain. The defenders appear to have made a last stand in the eastern ditch before being overrun.
c.80 confirmed deaths in war grave; likely further unrecovered casualties
Auxiliary cohort assault infantry with ballista support under Legio II Augusta command
Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any location in Britain — drawing on Domesday records, scheduled monuments, Victorian OS maps, geological data and archaeological archives to tell the full story of a place.
Research a location near Dorset