Dozens of 7,000-year-old headless human skeletons found in ditch

World Dozens of 7,000-year-old headless human skeletons discovered in ditch: "A terrifying sight at first glance" By Emily Mae Czachor Emily Mae Czachor News Editor Emily Mae Czachor is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. She typically covers breaking news, extreme weather and climate. Emily Mae previously wrote for outlets like the Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed and Newsweek. Read Full Bio Emily Mae Czachor Updated on: June 9, 2026 / 3:22 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Researchers have discovered dozens of ancient human skeletons, with nearly all of their heads severed, in a ditch in central Europe — a find they acknowledge "presents a terrifying sight at first glance." But the headless remains dating back 7,000 years actually provide new insights into farming communities who resided in that region at the time, according to an announcement from Germany's Kiel University.The university and the Slovanian Academy of Sciencies jointly backed a decadeslong research endeavor that brought archaeologists to the site in Vráble, a small Slovakian town, where the skeletons were unearthed. Those involved in the project have now also released a study on their findings, which was published in the journal Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society.Although the 78 skeletons found piled atop one another in Vráble could suggest some kind of massacre took place, the researchers said their analyses so far indicate they were deliberately interred that way, potentially as part of a Neolithic cultural tradition. Martin Furholt, a professor at Kiel University and the study's lead author, said in a statement that the burials "appear unusual." Based on the evidence his team has gathered so far, they may reflect the "social practices" of ancient settlers, who inhabited the area around Vráble from approximately 5250 to 4950 B.C.E., according to the university. Drone footage of the excavation site at Vráble. Nils Müller-Scheesel/Kiel Univer...