Ridgeway Hill Viking burial pit facts for kids
 Location in Dorset
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| Location | Weymouth, Dorset |
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| Coordinates | 50°40′16″N 2°27′58″W / 50.671°N 2.466°W |
| Type | Burial pit |
| History | |
| Periods | Early medieval |
| Cultures | Viking |
The Ridgeway Hill Viking burial pit is a special place near Weymouth, Dorset, in England. It's a mass grave where archaeologists found the remains of 54 men and 51 heads. These men were from Scandinavia, which is where Vikings came from.
Experts believe these men were Vikings who were killed by local Anglo-Saxons a long time ago. This happened sometime between the years 970 and 1025. Archaeologists found the skeletons in June 2009. Later, scientists studied them to figure out who they were and how old they might have been. We don't know exactly why they were killed. But it happened during a time when Anglo-Saxons and Vikings often fought. Some people think these Vikings were caught while trying to raid Anglo-Saxon lands.
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How Was the Burial Site Found?
In September 2008, a group called Oxford Archaeology started digging. They were working on land where a new road, the Weymouth Relief Road, was planned. This road was going to help people get to Weymouth and the Isle of Portland for the 2012 Summer Olympics sailing events.
The road project was a big deal. It was going through a beautiful area that was important for history and nature. The archaeological dig was one of the largest ever in Dorset. It covered a very big area, about 50,000 square meters.
What Did Archaeologists Discover?
During their digging, the archaeologists found a burial pit on Ridgeway Hill. Inside, they found 54 skeletons and 51 skulls. The bodies were just thrown into the pit. But the heads were neatly piled up in a separate spot.
The pit was actually an old Roman quarry that was no longer used. The people who killed the men used it because it was convenient. The pit was also next to a main road from Anglo-Saxon times. Important places like this were often used for public events back then. Because the pit was just outside the main road building area, archaeologists could study it carefully for three months. This didn't stop the road project.
Who Were the Men Found at Ridgeway Hill?
All 54 skeletons belonged to men. Most of them were young, from their late teens to about 25 years old. A few older men were also found, up to their fifties. They were all killed at the same time. It looks like a large, very sharp weapon, like a sword, was used.
Where Did They Come From?
At first, people thought the deaths happened around the time the Romans came to Britain, about 43 AD. But scientists used a method called radiocarbon dating on the bones. This showed that the men died between 970 and 1025 AD.
Scientists also looked at the teeth from ten of the skeletons. They found that the men came from Scandinavia. One man might have even come from north of the Arctic Circle. Their teeth showed they ate a lot of protein, similar to people found at Viking sites in Sweden.
The bones also showed that their diets came from different places. This suggests they traveled around northern Europe. Their bodies looked a lot like Scandinavian people from that time. Some even looked like warriors. One man had special grooves filed into his front teeth. This was sometimes a sign of a warrior in Scandinavia.
Were They All Strong Warriors?
Not all the men were in perfect health. One man had a painful leg wound since he was a child. This would have made him and his group move much slower. Another man had a twisted right leg because of a broken bone.
Why Were These Men Killed?
The men found at Ridgeway Hill were all old enough to fight. They were also killed very far from their homes. People have several ideas about why they ended up there.
When they died, England was a place of conflict. Native Saxons and invading Vikings often fought each other. At first, some thought the men might have been Saxons killed by Vikings or other Saxons. But the evidence showed they were from Scandinavia.
The burial spot seems to have been a formal place. It's possible the killings happened in front of many people. In a TV show called Viking Apocalypse, Dr. Britt Baillie suggested a few ideas. She thought the killings might be linked to the St. Brice's Day massacre. Or perhaps these Viking men were killed by their own people for leaving their group. However, the way they were killed and the large number of victims suggest it wasn't a normal legal punishment.
