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Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Health
- Miami Herald
Human remains found in Spain caves were victims of cannibalism — but by whom?
In the karst mountains of northern Spain, a cave once held an ancient family. The site was first excavated about 25 years ago when archaeologists found human remains dating back to the Neolithic period and Middle Bronze Age. Now, analysis of the bones found that not only were the people that called the cave home likely killed, but their bodies were then stripped, cooked and eaten, leaving only chewed bones in the wake. At least 11 individuals have been found as victims of cannibalism from a collection of hundreds of bones dating to around 5,700 years ago, researchers from the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution and the University of Rovira i Virgili said in an Aug. 7 news release. The group includes at least four adults, two juveniles and three children, two of which were under the age of 7, according to a study published Aug. 7 in the peer-reviewed journal Scientific Reports. The ages of two individuals could not be determined. Some of the bones had 'signs of butchery' including percussion marks and peeling, but were also found to be burned or polished, a sign that the bones and meat on them had been cooked, according to the study. Most notably, crushing marks with longitudinal cracks and specific patterns of damage suggest 'human chewing,' researchers said. All of the individuals were local to the region, researchers said in the release, and had been eaten in a very short time period. They may have even been consumed in just a matter of days. Cannibalism has been observed in some communities as a ritual or in times of extreme starvation, but in those cases, the human remains aren't consumed so quickly, according to the release. 'So, several traits of the El Mirador assemblage are consistent with a similar interpretation. These include the short-term depositional episode coinciding with the final Neolithic occupation phase, the interruption of livestock-related activities, and the cave's functional shift, from pen to funerary space, in the subsequent Chalcolithic period,' according to the study. 'Together, these features lend weight to the hypothesis of 'warfare cannibalism,' in which the victims, likely a nuclear or extended family, may have been killed in a single event by a neighboring or external group.' Researchers said they didn't find explicit evidence of fatal injuries on the remains of the 11 people, but that it doesn't invalidate the possible cause, as many life-ending injuries do not leave marks on the bone. While nearly one thousand years apart, this isn't the first time cannibalism has been observed in the El Mirador cave. A previous case was identified from the Bronze Age, about 4,600 years ago, but the new study shows it was a practice in the area much earlier, according to the release. The researchers suggest the cave gives a snapshot look at violence at the end of the Neolithic, a period driven by extreme instability as cultures moved from foraging to farming, according to the study. 'High population pressure, competition over resources and interactions between indigenous Mesolithic groups and incoming Neolithic farming communities often resulted in violent confrontations of varying scale,' researchers said. El Mirador cave is in the Atapuerca Mountains of north-central Spain. The research team includes Palmira Saladié, Francesc Marginedas, Juan Ignacio Morales, Josep María Vergès, Ethel Allué, Isabel Expósito, Marina Lozano, Patricia Martín, Javier Iglesias-Bexiga, Marta Fontanals, Roser Marsal, Raquel Hernando, Aitor Burguet-Coca and Antonio Rodríguez-Hidalgo.
National Geographic
31-07-2025
- Science
- National Geographic
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 vertebra from a Homo antecessor child with cut marks indicating it was likely cannibalized. Photograph by Maria D. Guillén / IPHES-CERCA 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. Archaeological excavation work at the Gran Dolina cave site in Atapuerca. Photograph by Maria D. Guillén / IPHES-CERCA 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. An 850,000-year-old tooth belonging to an ancient human relative called Homo antecessor. Photograph by Maria D. Guillén / IPHES-CERCA 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.' Limited Time: Bonus Issue Offer Subscribe now and gift up to 4 bonus issues—starting at $34/year.
Time of India
29-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Early humans ate children 850,000 years ago, scientists find chilling evidence of cannibalism
Archaeologists in Spain have unearthed gruesome new evidence suggesting that early human ancestors may have cannibalized children nearly 850,000 years ago. The startling discovery was made at the Gran Dolina cave site in Atapuerca, northern Spain, where researchers found a child's neck bone bearing precise butchery marks, clear indications that the child, aged between two and four, had been killed and processed for food. Scientists say the find confirms long-standing theories that Homo antecessor, an early human species, engaged in cannibalism, including of their own young, as a survival strategy or social behavior. Early humans ate children like prey, bone analysis shows The excavation, led by experts from the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution (IPHES), revealed a small vertebra with cut marks at anatomical points typically associated with the decapitation and dismemberment of prey. According to Dr. Palmira Saladié, co-director of the excavation, the markings show clear signs that the child's body was processed similarly to animals consumed by early humans. The site has yielded bones from several individuals over the past 30 years. Many of these show defleshing marks and human bite imprints, including those from adults. The discovery strengthens the view that cannibalism was not an isolated incident but a regular practice among Homo antecessor, a key human ancestor species that lived between 1.2 million and 800,000 years ago. A chilling window into early human behaviour Homo antecessor had a smaller brain and more robust build compared to modern humans, but may have already developed right-handedness and a rudimentary symbolic language. Experts believe cannibalism may have served multiple functions, such as nutritional need, ritual practice, or social control. This find could be one of the oldest direct pieces of evidence for systematic cannibalism among human ancestors. Similar discoveries in other parts of the world Cannibalism in early human history is not confined to Spain. Archaeological sites in Kenya have revealed butchered human bones dating back to 1.45 million years. In the UK, skulls found in Somerset's Cheddar Gorge suggest early humans fashioned drinking vessels from human craniums. The latest discovery at Atapuerca adds a disturbing new layer to our understanding of ancient survival and social dynamics.
NDTV
26-07-2025
- Science
- NDTV
Ancient Humans Ate Children 850,000 Years Ago, New Discovery Reveals
In a remarkable scientific discovery, Spanish archaeologists have found evidence that human ancestors ate children, some 850,000 years ago. Digging at the Gran Dolina cave site in Atapuerca, northern Spain, the researchers discovered a human neck bone belonging to a child aged between two and four years old, with clear butchery marks, suggesting that the small children may have been devoured clean. The team from the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution (IPHES) stated that the site of the marks on the neck bone suggests the youngster was decapitated. Notably, the body parts of the child belong to Homo antecessor, believed to be the last common ancestor of both Homo sapiens and Neanderthals. "This case is particularly striking, not only because of the child's age, but also due to the precision of the cut marks," said Dr Palmira Saladie, the co-director of the excavation. "The vertebra presents clear incisions at key anatomical points for disarticulating the head. It is direct evidence that the child was processed like any other prey." Although cannibalism is well documented in early humans, it is unusual to find evidence of a child being eaten. If the discovery stands verified, it could mark the earliest evidence of the practice found to date. 'What we are documenting now is the continuity of that behaviour: the treatment of the dead was not exceptional, but repeated,' said Ms Saladie. Stockier and shorter on average than modern humans, the Homo antecessor lived between 1.2 million and 800,000 years ago. Their brain size was roughly between 1,000 and 1,150 cubic centimetres, which is smaller than the average 1,350 cubic centimetres brain size of people today. "The new find reinforces the hypothesis that these early humans exploited their congeners as a food resource," the researchers stated. 'Every year we uncover new evidence that forces us to rethink how our ancestors lived, how they died, and how the dead were treated nearly a million years ago.'
Yahoo
25-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
The grisly discovery that shows our ancestors ate children
Human ancestors ate small children 850,000 years ago, a gruesome discovery has shown. Archaeologists working at the Gran Dolina cave site in Burgos, northern Spain, found a human neck bone belonging to a child aged between two and four years old, with clear butchery marks. The vertebra was found with other bones and teeth belonging to Homo Antecessor, considered to be the last common ancestor of both Homo Sapiens and Neanderthals, and who lived between 1.2 million and 800,000 years ago. Although cannibalism is well documented in early humans, experts say it is unusual to find a child being eaten and it marks the earliest evidence of the practice found to date. The site of the marks on the neck bone suggests the youngster was decapitated. 'This case is particularly striking, not only because of the child's age, but also due to the precision of the cut marks,' said Dr Palmira Saladié, the co-director of the Gran Dolina excavation of the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution. 'The vertebra presents clear incisions at key anatomical points for disarticulating the head. It is direct evidence that the child was processed like any other prey.' Other adult bones belonging to Homo Antecessor found at the site show evidence of defleshing marks and intentional fractures, similar to those found on animal bones consumed by humans. Experts say it suggests that 'early humans exploited their peers as a food resource' and may also have used cannibalism as a method of controlling territory. Homo Antecessor is the earliest human to move into Europe and was given the species name antecessor because it means 'pioneer' or 'early settler' in Latin. It was of stockier build than modern humans, with males ranging in height from 5.2ft to 5.9ft, but had some modern facial features, such as a hollowed cheekbones and a projecting nose, unlike earlier hominids. The earliest evidence of human cannibalism dates back to 1.45 million years where a butchered Homo Erectus bone was found in northern Kenya and it is likely the practice existed until relatively recently. Some archaeologists suggest that before formal burials, human populations would eat the dead as a funerary ritual. At Gough's Cave in Cheddar Gorge, Somerset, human skulls were found that appeared to have been used as cups, dating from 15,000 years ago. Gnawed human bones were also excavated from the same period. Experts believe that, during the Ice Age, cannibalism would have been a good way of finding food in tough times while also removing rival groups and ritually absorbing their power. Hundreds of stone tools have been discovered previously at Gran Dolina, as well as human bones showing evidence of human chewing. 'What we are documenting now is the continuity of that behaviour: the treatment of the dead was not exceptional, but repeated,' added Dr Saladié, a specialist in prehistoric cannibalism. 'Every year we uncover new evidence that forces us to rethink how our ancestors lived, how they died, and how the dead were treated nearly a million years ago.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Solve the daily Crossword
