A recent study of some skulls found on the southeast coast of the Iberian Peninsula unveiled a wild discovery. Conducted by archaeologist Rubén de la Fuente-Seoane, and fellow researchers from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, the study found that the extremely badass skulls had huge friggin’ spikes through them.

This has different meanings, depending on the context. Sometimes they were for scaring off enemies. Other times, they were for honoring the dead.

The team used a research method called strontium isotope analysis to determine which of the seven bodies were people who lived in the local area and which ones came from elsewhere. By looking for the element strontium in bones and teeth, the researchers can determine the kinds of foods a person ate, which then tells them where a person’s food came from, which likely explains where they came from.

Remember, this was a time before grocery stores shipped food in from all across the country or the world. Eating was extremely local.

Iron Age-Era Skulls in Spain Found with Large Spikes Driven Through Heads

The researchers were able to determine that three out of the four severed heads belonged to non-locals at one dig site, while skulls from a separate dig site were from nonlocal persons. The two different archaeological sites were about 60 miles away from each other and were both home to ancient cities that were abandoned after the Second Punic War. Despite the long distance between settlements, the rituals were largely the same, though the content behind them might have been different.

There is evidence from the excavation site at Puig Castellar that the skulls of the non-locals were nailed, perhaps on an exterior wall, for all to see. Likely a scare tactic to establish dominance or to ward off outsiders.

The skulls at the other excavation site, in an area called Ullastret, weren’t so ostentatiously displayed. Instead, they were found in and around homes. The researchers theorize that they were either displayed inside or outside houses not as a grisly warning but rather to honor important members of the community. This is what happens when you don’t have cameras.

The real discovery here is a challenging of previously held conceptions about why these Iron Age Spanish folks kept these spiked heads around. For years, researchers assumed they were trophies of war, but it turns out there might have been a sentimental aspect to keeping around a severed head that has had a large spike driven through its forehead. How heartwarming.