New research reveals that a violent attack in early Bronze Age England, around 4,000 years ago, likely involved the systematic dismemberment and cannibalism of at least 37 people.

Excavated bones from Charterhouse Warren, south of Bristol, showed extensive violence, with victims killed by head blows and then dismembered.

Researchers suggest this massacre was part of a cycle of revenge within or between communities, driven by escalating tensions, NBC News has reported.

The attackers likely ate the victims to dehumanize them, not out of necessity, as animal bones found at the site indicate there was sufficient food.

Written by B.C. Begley