An extraordinary archaeological find near Carlisle has unearthed more than 600 red ochre fragments, providing compelling evidence of the ancient Britons’ tradition of body painting, famously documented by the 4th-century BC Greek explorer, Pytheas of Massalia. This 6,500-year-old ceremonial site, now considered one of the most significant red ochre discoveries in the UK, sheds light on the cultural practices of prehistoric Britons.
Pytheas, an explorer from the Greek colony of Massalia (modern-day Marseille), referred to Great Britain as “Prettanike,” derived from the Celtic word “Pretani,” meaning “the painted ones” or “the tattooed folk.” Supporting this ancient account, Julius Caesar also mentioned in the mid-1st century BC that the inhabitants of Britain had a tradition of painting themselves.
The Carlisle red ochre find not only corroborates linguistic evidence but also suggests the existence of long-standing rituals or gatherings involving body painting. According to The Independent, alongside the ochre fragments, archaeologists discovered stones likely used to grind ochre into powder and hundreds of thousands of flint fragments. These findings indicate that the site was a focal point for ritualistic activities, possibly during the salmon-fishing season in spring, attracting people from across Britain.
Pytheas of Massalia is celebrated as the first Mediterranean explorer to reach Great Britain and the Arctic Circle. His travels, estimated around 330 BC, were documented by later geographers since his original writings, titled “On The Ocean,” did not survive. He is quoted in works like Strabo’s “Geographica,” Pliny’s “Natural History,” and Diodorus of Sicily’s “Bibliotheca Historica.”
Pytheas is believed to have crossed the English Channel, first reaching Britain from modern-day Cornwall, describing the area’s flourishing tin trade before continuing north along the west coasts of England, Wales, and Scotland. He encountered the Celtic-speaking inhabitants, whom he called the Pretani, noting their body painting customs.
The Carlisle site, despite being used thousands of years before Pytheas’ voyage, aligns with other UK findings showing red ochre use persisted until at least the Iron Age. This continuity brings the ancient body painting tradition closer to the classical antiquity era and substantiates Pytheas’ depiction of the Britons.
