Evidence of ritual killings in moors graves

The findings are from a number of human skeletons dating back to the last century BC which have baffled experts for decades after being discovered in the Ryedale Windypits, a series of underground geological limestone fissure caves on the edge of the national park.

Now after a fresh examination of the bones by forensic anthropologists from the University of Dundee as part of a new TV series, fresh parallel cut marks have been discovered, thought to be from a scalping, as well as signs of brute force on other bones, which it is claimed show the bodies were killed as part of a ritual.

Prof Sue Black, a member of the research team, said: “We’ve added a dimension to this that we never anticipated we were going to and in fact it’s a first for me.

“I have never been involved in something with this sort of a ritual.

“At the end of the day the bones have the evidence and the evidence speaks for itself.”

The team also claims to have discovered that the Ryedale Windypits were spiritually important to humans as far back as the late neolithic period – 4,500 years ago. The flurries of air emitted through the geological faultlines are said to be thought of as portals to an underworld and ritual sacrifice was common at the site.

The North York Moors National Park Authority’s senior archaeological conservation officer Graham Lee, who appears in the new TV programme about the discovery, said: “Little is known about the origins of the skeletons found in the windypits and how they came to be there.

“Trauma to the skeletons would indicate that some of those buried in the caves met with violent deaths, but as to who these people were and why they came to such brutal ends we really don’t know.

“Having the insight and research from the team has given us a greater understanding of what the windypits were used for by our ancestors.”

The programme about the discovery, called History Cold Case, is due to be aired on BBC2 at 9pm on June 30.