Archaeologists in Scotland Discovered the Skeleton of a Roman-Era Man Who Was Decapitated Nearly 2,000 Years Ago. Now, You Can See What He Might Have Looked Like During His Lifetime

A digital facial reconstruction of the man, whose head was severed after his death, will soon go on view in Edinburgh. It depicts an individual in his early 50s, with graying hair and brown eyes

November 3, 2026 4:38 p.m.

A facial reconstruction of a man whose decapitated skeleton was found in Musselburgh, Scotland, in 2010 © Chris Rynn

In 2010, archaeologists conducting excavations ahead of construction in Musselburgh , Scotland, stumbled upon the remains of four Roman-era men. Their heads had been separated from their bodies, apparently after death.

Experts don’t know exactly why these individuals were decapitated postmortem, but they have a few theories: Perhaps the ritual was a holdover from an early Celtic cult that attributed power to severed heads .…