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Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Yahoo
Scientists found cut marks on a 850,000-year-old human neck bone. Was it ... cannibalism?
A toddler's neck bone discovered with clear cut-marks dating to about 850,000 years ago may be evidence that an ancient hominin species, Homo antecessor, cannibalized a child, according to archaeologists in Spain. The researchers say the finding, announced July 24, is further indication of Paleolithic cannibalism at Gran Dolina cave in Spain's Sierra de Atapuerca, where signs of ancient humans butchering one another have been found for decades. "This is direct evidence that the child was processed like any other prey," says Palmira Saladié, an archaeologist with the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution (IPHES-CERCA) and one of the leaders of the excavations where the neck bone was unearthed. Decapitation did not always mean meat from the dead individual was consumed, she says. But in the case of this child, who was between two and four years old, she believes it was almost certain the individual was also eaten. The toddler's vertebra was found along with bones from nine other individuals, in a layer of sediment within the cave dated to about 850,000 years ago. Many of the bones also had cut marks, as well as fractures the researchers say seem to have been made to reach the marrow inside. But not everyone agrees with the team's conclusions. Homo antecessor's cave Gran Dolina and the Atapuerca site near the northern Spanish city of Burgos were uncovered in the 1890s, when a route for a new railway was cut through nearby mountains. Excavations since the 1960s have revealed broadly accepted evidence of cannibalism among the Homo antecessor group that lived there from about 900,000 years ago until their species went extinct, possibly a little more than 100,000 years later. Scientists disagree on whether Homo antecessor was a direct ancestor of anatomically modern humans—Homo sapiens—or if it was a related species that died out. Regardless, evidence from prehistoric archaeological sites—including the Mesolithic Gough's Cave in the west of England and the Neolithic Herxheim site in Germany—indicates that early Homo sapiens, too, were sometimes cannibals. Signs of cannibalism among earlier human species, such as Neanderthals, have been found at archaeological sites all over the world, including some of the earliest evidence from Kenya. In a few cases, what was once thought to be evidence of hominin cannibalism might actually be something else: stripping flesh from bones for a "reburial" perhaps, which has been suggested for Neolithic remains in France. Cannibal controversy Some experts disagree if the newfound cut-marks are evidence the child was cannibalized. "Cannibalism is very rare," says Michael Pante a paleoanthropologist from Colorado State University, who was not involved in the discovery. "It's just not a common thing that we see." He says that although scientists claim to have found evidence of cannibalism from remains at several archaeological sites, and especially at Atapuerca, direct evidence of it is uncommon. "This decapitation doesn't mean they consumed that individual," says Pante. "They were obviously cutting up a child for some reason, but there are a number of reasons they may have done that." A funeral ritual is one possibility. Pante also disagrees with a suggestion made by the researchers that early humans at Atapuerca hunted rival humans as a food resource. "There is not a lot of evidence of that," he says. Cannibalism among humans—even very early humans like these—was unusual for nutritional purposes and may have only occurred in rituals, he adds. Other researchers are more convinced, however. James Cole, an archaeologist and expert in early human cannibalism who was also not involved in the work, says the first evidence for cannibalism at Atapuerca was found almost 30 years ago. "The new find in this respect is perhaps unsurprising,' he says, 'but it is absolutely fascinating and hints at the rich story about our evolutionary past that the site still has to tell.'
CNN
2 days ago
- CNN
Roman-era ‘church' in Spain may have been a synagogue
Archaeologists working at a site in Spain say they have uncovered evidence of what may have been a synagogue used by a hitherto unknown Jewish community. While excavating the site, previously believed to be a church dating from the 4th century, experts found materials and architectural evidence that led them to hypothesize that the building was, in fact, a synagogue, according to a study published earlier this month. Artifacts such as fragments of oil lamps and a piece of roof tile decorated with menorahs were found during excavations in Cástulo, a former Roman settlement in southern Spain, whereas no materials that have a clear association with the Christian faith have been found at the site. In contrast, archaeologists have found evidence of Christian worship at another site in the town, study author Bautista Ceprián, an archaeologist with the Cástulo Sefarad Primera Luz project, told CNN on Wednesday. The building also has a squarer shape than Christian churches, which tend to be more rectangular, and archaeologists found what could have been a hole for supporting a large menorah, as well as the foundations of a central raised platform, or bimah, which is common in synagogues but not in churches, he added. In addition, no tombs were discovered at the building, which was built near an abandoned Roman temple — something that would have been feared by Christian residents because of its association with paganism, he added. 'It's a hidden, discreet and isolated spot that would not have been visited often by the Christian majority,' Ceprián said. Taken together, this evidence points to the existence of a previously unknown Jewish community in the town, the study authors argue. 'The reinterpretation of the building from a church to possibly a synagogue followed a process of logical reasoning based on the historical and archaeological data in our possession,' Ceprián said. Nonetheless, the lack of written records of a Jewish community in Cástulo leaves room for some doubt, as the study authors acknowledged. Speculating about the daily life of the community would be 'a very dangerous exercise,' Ceprián said, but they would have lived alongside their fellow Roman citizens in the town. The population is then thought to have disappeared, as it is not named in the anti-Jewish law enacted by Visigoth King Sisebut, who ruled what is now Spain from 612 to 621, whereas the Jewish communities in other nearby towns are specifically named. As for what would have happened to them, 'it is difficult to know,' Ceprián said. One possible explanation is that the Christian clergy feared the local population would convert to Judaism, given the 'close and friendly relations' between the two groups in the region at the time, he said. This concern drove Christian leaders, who were becoming increasingly influential in the Roman Empire, to foment fear of and opposition to Jewish communities, said Ceprián. This culminated in episodes starting around the end of the 4th century in which Jewish citizens were pressured to convert to Christianity, with those who refused 'amicably invited' to leave their hometowns, he said, adding that this kind of incident could have plausibly occurred in Cástulo sometime between the end of the 5th century and the beginning of the 7th century. Now the team will work to protect the site and excavations will continue, Ceprián said. They aim to allow the public to visit at some point in the future, he added. 'We can't rule out the possibility of finding more definitive evidence that allows us to update our hypothesis of a possible synagogue to an actual synagogue,' he said. Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more.
Gizmodo
3 days ago
- Gizmodo
This Ancient Roman Artifact Is Also a 453 Million-Year-Old Fossil
Despite how Ross' paleontology career is treated by his companions in Friends, there's something special about finding the remains of creatures that lived millions if not billions of years before us. In fact, humanity's interest in paleontology isn't a modern development. Ancient Romans were just as fascinated by fossils. According to the ancient Roman historian Suetonius, Emperor Augustus established the first known paleontological museum at his villa on the island of Capri, where he showcased the bones of ancient 'giants' and 'monsters.' While paleontologists have yet to uncover such fantastical remains, a study published Thursday in the journal Science describes something that, in my opinion, is even more special—an ancient Roman amulet crafted from the fossil of a critter that lived between 453 and 460 million years ago. The researchers claim that the artifact 'represents the first documented trilobite in the Roman world and the earliest known reference to this fossil group—and the intentional manipulation of a trilobite specimen—in all of classical antiquity,' they wrote in the study. Trilobites are a group of marine arthropods that existed between 521 and 251 million years ago. It's also the 'third trilobite in the global archaeological record to have been collected and used by people over a thousand years ago,' they added. The rare artifact came to light in a Roman settlement in northwestern Spain called A Cibdá of Armea that existed from the first to the third century CE. The researchers suggest that the fossil itself originated in shale outcrops over 267 miles (430 kilometers) away from the Roman settlement. The trilobite likely reached the settlement via trade or as the property of someone from central Lusitania (a Roman province in Spain) moving to the region. Either way, someone clearly altered the fossil. 'The Armea trilobite fragment unquestionably shows evidence of anthropic work, particularly on the underside and left side of the piece,' the researchers explained. 'These marks do not affect the upper surface, which displays the characteristic articulated segments of a trilobite's dorsal exoskeleton. It seems clear that the person who modified the stone intended to leave that natural surface untouched, while simultaneously adapting the fossil to its new function.' According to the study, the modified fossil could have functioned as a game token, a part of a necklace or bracelet, a banded pendant on a metallic mount, or simply an object people carried in their bag or pocket. Regardless of how the trilobite was fashioned, it was likely kept for supernatural, propitiatory, or medicinal purposes and abandoned between the first and third centuries CE. 'It is plausible to consider that the Armea trilobite may have been perceived to hold magical and protective powers for its wearer, as is the case with fossils or even trilobites in other well-known archaeological contexts,' the researchers wrote. Coincidentally, archaeologists found the trilobite next to a bronze coin of Augustus. The discovery is a testament to the fact that humanity's curiosity for that which came before us is a universal trait that transcends cultures, borders, and even time itself. It stands as a reassuring reminder, especially in times like these—when the only thing everyone seems to agree on is our many differences.
