Latest news with #Magdalenians
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Earliest Known Whale Bone Tools Discovered in Europe's Museum Collections
As far back as 20,000 years ago, humans living around the Bay of Biscay were crafting a variety of whale bones into tools, new research has revealed. A careful study of artifacts that have spent years tucked away in museum collections across Europe shows that the Magdalenian culture not only worked and used the bones of our planet's largest living beasts, they did so from a range of species, long before they were capable of actively hunting them. This discovery not only gives is crucial insight into the Magdalenians, but also reveals information about the changing ecology of the Bay of Biscay, off the coast of France and Spain. "I am an archaeologist more accustomed to terrestrial faunas. I am used to excavating cave sites in the foothills of the Pyrenees, and I work on the Magdalenian period which yielded a well-known cave art showing mostly ungulates (horse, bison, cervids, etc.)," University of Toulouse-Jean Jaurès archaeologist and senior author Jean-Marc Pétillon told ScienceAlert. "The most exciting thing for me is to shed light on how much the sea, and the sea animals, might also have been important for the people at that time." The Magdalenian culture occupied coastal and inland regions of western Europe flourished some 19,000 to 14,000 years ago as the world was reaching the end of the last glacial period. They left behind a relatively rich archaeological record, but with limitations. Ancient coastal habitats are particularly prone to the ravages of time and the ocean, and most of the record of the use of coastal resources comes from inland, where artifacts had been transported. It's from these inland sites that archaeolologists excavated the Magdalenian artifacts: "more than 150 tools and projectile heads made of whale bone presumably of Atlantic origin, mostly found scattered from Asturias to the central part of the northern Pyrenean range," writes a team led by Krista McGrath of the Autonomous University of Barcelona and Laura G. van der Sluis of the University of Vienna. Hunting and seafaring techniques to prey on whales would not emerge until thousands of years later, so the bones would have been gleaned opportunistically from whales stranding themselves on the seashore. The Magdalenians then used the foraged material to craft tools – mostly projectile points, Pétillon explained. "The main raw material used to manufacture the points at that period is antler (from reindeer or red deer), because it is less brittle and more pliable than land mammal bone," he said. "The fact that some points are made of whale bone shows that this material was preferred over antler in certain cases. It is probably because of its large dimensions: some of our whale bone points were more than 40 centimeters [16 inches] long, which is difficult to get with antler." To learn more about the timing and use of whale bone as a material, the researchers turned to two relatively modern techniques: a paleoproteomics method that analyzes collagen peptides in ancient samples to identify species; and micro-carbon dating, which is a variation of radiocarbon dating that requires less material. By carefully using these techniques on their samples, the researchers dated the bone tools to between 16,000 and 20,000 years ago. At least five different species of large whales contributed their bones to Magdalenian technology – which tells us about the ecology of the region during the last glacial period. "Our study shows that there was a large diversity of whale species in the Gulf of Biscay, northeastern North Atlantic, at that period. Most of the species we identified (sperm whale, blue whale, fin whale) are present in the North Atlantic today; in this perspective, their presence is not surprising," Pétillon said. "What was more surprising to me – as an archaeologist more accustomed to terrestrial faunas – was that these whale species remained the same despite the great environmental difference between the Late Pleistocene and today. In the same period, continental faunas are very different: the ungulates hunted include reindeer, saiga antelopes, bison, etc., all disappeared from Western Europe today." Interestingly, analysis of carbon and nitrogen isotopes absorbed from the environment as the animals fed show that these whales had a slightly different diet from those of the same species that are around today. It's impossible to determine what exactly this means – perhaps migration patterns were different, or food availability – but it does show a level of adaptability to changing circumstances, whatever those were. The presence of the whales in the Bay of Biscay would have been a draw for the Magdalenian culture, the researchers believe, offering a resource opportunity too good to pass up. Although whale strandings may not have been a frequent occurrence, they would have contributed to the list of benefits coastal living would have had to offer, playing a role in human mobility patterns in the region. It's a fascinating, multi-layered result that underscores the value of revisiting previously collected objects and seeing what new information we can discover with new techniques. "Even old collections, excavated more than one century ago with field methods now outdated, and stored in museums for a long time, can bring new scientific information when approached with the right analytical tools," Pétillon said. The research has been published in Nature Communications. Are Dogs Replacing Babies in Countries With Declining Birth Rates? Underwater Fossils Surface to Reveal a Lost World of Archaic Humans Scientists Discovered a Hidden Clue Why Men Are Taller Than Women
CNN
12-02-2025
- Health
- CNN
Early Europeans may have eaten their enemies' brains, archaeologists say
Ancient humans living in Europe may have scooped out the brains of their dead enemies and eaten them, a new study suggests. In the study, published last week in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers examined the bones of at least 10 people from the Magdalenian culture who lived in Europe 11,000–17,000 years ago. Using imaging techniques, the team of researchers from institutes in France, Spain and Poland identified types of marks and cuts 'associated with the removal of the marrow in the long bones and the brain in the skulls.' Multiple other studies have shown that cannibalism was relatively common among Magdalenian people, both as a funerary rite and as a form of violence. But this specific instance 'was a case of warfare,' Francesc Marginedas, the co-lead author of the study, argues, because there was 'no kind of special treatment compared to other Magdalenian sites,' nor the presence of skull cups, 'which is related to the ritualization of the bodies.' Marginedas, an archaeologist at the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution in Spain, was part of a team studying the bones deposited in Maszycka Cave, near Kraków, Poland – a well-known prehistoric site that has been extensively studied for decades. During that time, different theories have emerged to explain why the ancient Magdalenians cut open the skulls of dead bodies. While a study in the 1990s concluded that these ancient humans consumed the brains of their enemies, later studies highlighted a lack of human tooth marks on the skulls, undermining the cannibalism hypothesis. For Marginedas, however, all the evidence 'makes us think that it's something more related to violence and conflict rather than a funeral ritual,' he told CNN on Tuesday. He and his team used electron microscopes to study the bones, identifying marks and cuts on 68% of them and demonstrating that they were made by humans rather than by natural processes. The bones belonged to at least 10 individuals – six adults and four juveniles – who may have been related to each other, Marginedas said, adding that further DNA analysis is needed to confirm that. Since they died so long ago, 'it's very difficult to say 100% that it's a case ofwarfare cannibalism,' he said. 'During the taphonomic analysis (study of the processes undergone by organic matter after death) of the surface of the whole bones to find any kind of marks that can tell us some story about what happened, we identified that … the bones from the arms and the legs, they were butchered and broken … to extract and consume the marrow.' Bill Schutt, a zoologist and author of 'Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History,' who was not involved in the study, told CNN that 'this is a very well-written paper' and 'a really good study.' He cautioned, however, against reaching definitive conclusions that this is an example of cannibalism. 'There are alternative answers to this question of what happened back then,' he said, explaining that we don't know enough about Magdalenian culture to say that they were cannibals. 'Who knows what these people were doing? Did they believe it was respectful to smash up the skulls of the dead or deflesh them?' said Schutt. 'There are cultures where bodies are defleshed as part of funerary rites.' CNN's Jack Guy contributed to this report.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Early Europeans may have eaten their enemies' brains, archaeologists say
Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. Ancient humans living in Europe may have scooped out the brains of their dead enemies and eaten them, a new study suggests. In the study, published last week in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers examined the bones of at least 10 people from the Magdalenian culture who lived in Europe 11,000–17,000 years ago. Using imaging techniques, the team of researchers from institutes in France, Spain and Poland identified types of marks and cuts 'associated with the removal of the marrow in the long bones and the brain in the skulls.' Multiple other studies have shown that cannibalism was relatively common among Magdalenian people, both as a funerary rite and as a form of violence. But this specific instance 'was a case of warfare,' Francesc Marginedas, the co-lead author of the study, argues, because there was 'no kind of special treatment compared to other Magdalenian sites,' nor the presence of skull cups, 'which is related to the ritualization of the bodies.' Marginedas, an archaeologist at the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution in Spain, was part of a team studying the bones deposited in Maszycka Cave, near Kraków, Poland – a well-known prehistoric site that has been extensively studied for decades. During that time, different theories have emerged to explain why the ancient Magdalenians cut open the skulls of dead bodies. While a study in the 1990s concluded that these ancient humans consumed the brains of their enemies, later studies highlighted a lack of human tooth marks on the skulls, undermining the cannibalism hypothesis. For Marginedas, however, all the evidence 'makes us think that it's something more related to violence and conflict rather than a funeral ritual,' he told CNN on Tuesday. He and his team used electron microscopes to study the bones, identifying marks and cuts on 68% of them and demonstrating that they were made by humans rather than by natural processes. The bones belonged to at least 10 individuals – six adults and four juveniles – who may have been related to each other, Marginedas said, adding that further DNA analysis is needed to confirm that. Since they died so long ago, 'it's very difficult to say 100% that it's a case ofwarfare cannibalism,' he said. 'During the taphonomic analysis (study of the processes undergone by organic matter after death) of the surface of the whole bones to find any kind of marks that can tell us some story about what happened, we identified that … the bones from the arms and the legs, they were butchered and broken … to extract and consume the marrow.' Bill Schutt, a zoologist and author of 'Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History,' who was not involved in the study, told CNN that 'this is a very well-written paper' and 'a really good study.' He cautioned, however, against reaching definitive conclusions that this is an example of cannibalism. 'There are alternative answers to this question of what happened back then,' he said, explaining that we don't know enough about Magdalenian culture to say that they were cannibals. 'Who knows what these people were doing? Did they believe it was respectful to smash up the skulls of the dead or deflesh them?' said Schutt. 'There are cultures where bodies are defleshed as part of funerary rites.' CNN's Jack Guy contributed to this report.
CNN
12-02-2025
- Health
- CNN
Early Europeans may have eaten their enemies' brains, archaeologists say
Ancient humans living in Europe may have scooped out the brains of their dead enemies and eaten them, a new study suggests. In the study, published last week in the journal Scientific Reports,researchers examined the bones of at least 10 people from the Magdalenian culture who lived in Europe 11,000–17,000 years ago. Using imaging techniques, the team of researchers from institutes in France, Spain and Poland identified types of marks and cuts 'associated with the removal of themarrow in the long bones and the brain in the skulls.' Multiple other studies have shown that cannibalism was relatively commonamong Magdalenian people, both as a funerary rite and as a form of violence. But this specific instance 'was a case of warfare,' FrancescMarginedas, the co-lead author of the study, argues, because there was 'no kind ofspecial treatment compared to other Magdalenian sites,' nor the presence ofskull cups, 'which is related to the ritualization of the bodies.' Marginedas, an archaeologist at the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecologyand Social Evolution in Spain, was part of a team studying the bones depositedin Maszycka Cave, near Kraków, Poland – a well-known prehistoric site thathas been extensively studied for decades. During that time, different theories have emerged to explain whythe ancient Magdalenians cut open the skulls of dead bodies. While a study in the 1990s concluded that these ancient humans consumed thebrains of their enemies, later studies highlighted a lack of human tooth markson the skulls, undermining the cannibalism hypothesis. For Marginedas, however, all the evidence 'makes us think that it's somethingmore related to violence and conflict rather than a funeral ritual,' he told CNNon Tuesday. He and his team used electron microscopes to study the bones, identifying marksand cuts on 68% of them and demonstrating that they were made by humansrather than by natural processes. The bones belonged to at least 10 individuals – six adults and fourjuveniles – who may have been related to each other, Marginedas said, adding thatfurther DNA analysis is needed to confirm that. Since they died so long ago, 'it's very difficult to say 100% that it's a case ofwarfare cannibalism,' he said. 'During the taphonomic analysis (study of the processes undergone by organic matter after death) of the surface of the whole bones to find anykind of marks that can tell us some story about what happened, we identifiedthat … the bones from the arms and the legs, they were butchered and broken… to extract and consume the marrow.' Bill Schutt, a zoologist and author of 'Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History,' who was not involved in the study, told CNN that 'this is a very well-written paper' and 'a really good study.' He cautioned, however, against reaching definitive conclusions that this is an example of cannibalism. 'There are alternative answers to this question of what happened back then,' he said, explaining that we don't know enough about Magdalenian culture to say that they were cannibals. 'Who knows what these people were doing? Did they believe it was respectful to smash up the skulls of the dead or deflesh them?' said Schutt. 'There are cultures where bodies are defleshed as part of funerary rites.' CNN's Jack Guy contributed to this report.
