A GRUESOME pit has been uncovered full of Stone Age human skeletons who met their end in brutal agony inflicted by their enemies.

Dozens of invaders were mercilessly tortured and mutilated after being captured in northeastern France more than 6,000 years ago.

The group came to their doom at a time when warfare was widespread across the region.

But rather than kill their foes and be done with it, warriors held grim "victory" celebrations.

Some of the bodies had their left arms severed or hands completely dismembered, researchers say.

"The severed upper limbs would represent war trophies removed at the battle site following the violent encounter and then taken back to the settlement for perhaps further transformation and display," experts wrote in the Science Advances journal.

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