Iron-Nailed Skull of Young Warrior Unearths Cryptic Chapter, Stirring Imagination About Ancient Battle Realities
During the Iron Age, in the town of Ullastret, located in the Baix Emporda region of Catalonia, there was a special ritual performed by the locals to assert their power. Ullastret, home to the Indiketes people, was the largest Iberian settlement dating back to around 550 BC.
After battles, the Gallic warriors and the Iberian tribes in the Mediterranean area would cut off the heads of their vanquished enemies and bring them back home. The skulls of the enemies would be pierced by an iron nail, securing the head to a wall or other structures. They didn’t just store these skulls; they displayed them along with the weapons of the enemies on facades, porches, or courtyards as war trophies.
The display of these heads and weapons was not just for boasting but also to assert the power and strength of the leaders. In Celtic culture, such war trophies were often hung from the backs of horses or displayed in front of the houses of victorious warriors. This created a powerful and terrifying sight, reminding everyone of the warrior’s authority and victory.
The Indiketes, an ancient Iberian people who spoke the Iberian language, were the inhabitants of Ullastret. They went through many historical events, including being conquered by Rome in 218 BC. Although they rebelled in 195 BC, their uprising was brutally crushed by the consul Marcus Porcius Cato.
Today, at the Ullastret Archaeological Museum, visitors can admire these skulls and weapons, preserved and displayed as precious artifacts from the past. These relics are not only evidence of fierce battles but also a mark of a unique and powerful culture.
The stories of brave warriors and their special rituals continue to live on in the memory of the people of Catalonia, reminding us of a heroic and challenging period in history.
