Latest news with #forensicAnthropology
Daily Mail
24-05-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
Archaeologists make chilling discovery inside 'Blood Cave' used for ancient Mayan rituals
Hundreds of human bones found in an underground cave in Guatemala suggest a chilling human sacrifice took place there. Cueva de Sangre, or the 'Blood Cave', is located underneath the archaeological site of Dos Pilas in Petén, Guatemala. It's one of more than a dozen caves in this region that were used by the Maya between 400 BC and AD 250. In the early 1990s, a survey uncovered a large collection of human bones from the Blood Cave, many of which showed evidence of traumatic injuries around the time of death. Now, a new analysis of the remains determined that the injuries resulted from ritual dismemberment that took place during a sacrifice some 2,000 years ago. For example, a skull fragment that came from the left side of the forehead bore evidence that someone struck it with a hatchet-like tool, and child's hip bone was found with a similar mark. What's more, researchers found the bones were scattered across the cave floor and arranged in peculiar, perhaps ritualistic ways. During the original survey, excavators uncovered a series of four stacked skull caps in one part of the cave. Ritual artifacts recovered alongside the bones — such as obsidian blades and red ochre, a naturally-occurring rust-colored pigment — provide further evidence that some sort of ceremony took place inside the Blood Cave. Co-researcher and forensic anthropologist Ellen Frianco told Live Science that the amount of human remains found in the cave, the injuries they bore and the presence of ritual objects point to the fact that this was most likely a sacrificial site. She and her colleague, bioarchaeologist Michele Bleuze, presented the results of their analysis at the annual Society for American Archaeology meeting in April. The Blood Cave was first discovered in the 1990s during the Petexbatun Regional Cave Survey, which sought to explore the subterranean structures beneath the ancient Maya city of Dos Pilas. This particular cave caught excavators' attention because it contained a strikingly large collection of human bones with signs of dismemberment and traumatic injuries. Interestingly, the Blood Cave can only be accessed through a small opening that descends into a low passageway that leads to a pool of water. Because of its structure, the cave is flooded for most of the year, and is only accessible during the dry season between March and May. This would have been true during the time of the Maya too, leading Frianco and Bleuze to believe that the sacrificial remains inside the cave were an offering to the rain god, Chaac. The Maya commonly performed human sacrifices as a way to appease the gods during times of crisis, such as a drought. Cueva de Sangre, or the 'Blood Cave', is located underneath the archaeological site of Dos Pilas in Petén, Guatemala. It's one of more than a dozen caves in this region that were used by the Maya between 400 BC and AD 250 The researchers note that descendants of the Maya still practice a similar ritual today. On May 3, or the Day of the Holy Cross, people visit caves to pray for rain and a good harvest at the end of the dry season. But there is no sacrifice involved in this contemporary celebration. Though their analysis pointed strong evidence to suggest that the Blood Cave was used for ritualistic human sacrifice, Frianco and Bleuze say there is still more work to be done. The researchers plan to study the ancient DNA within these bones to learn more about who the deceased were. They will also perform stable isotope analyses, which can yield information about the diets and migration patterns of the deceased as well as the environmental conditions during the time they were alive. 'Right now, our focus is who are these people deposited here, because they're treated completely differently than the majority of the population,' Bleuze told Live Science.
South China Morning Post
18-05-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
Study Buddy (Challenger): Bite marks reveal gladiator's fatal encounter with a lion
Content provided by British Council Read the following text, and answer questions 1-9 below: [1] In Rome's Colosseum and other amphitheatres in cities scattered across the sprawling ancient Roman Empire, gladiatorial spectacles were not merely human-versus-human affairs. While there are depictions of humans pitted against animals in ancient mosaics and texts, actual forensic evidence of these contests has been elusive until now. Scientists have determined that bite marks on the pelvis of a man buried in what is believed to be a cemetery for gladiators near the English city of York – known at the time as Eboracum – were made by a big cat, probably a lion. [2] The man appears to have lived during the 3rd century AD, when Eboracum was an important town and military base in the north of the Roman province of Britannia. The bite marks provide clues about his suspected demise in the arena. 'Here we can see puncture and scalloping, indicative of large dentition (teeth) piercing through the soft tissues and into the bone,' said forensic anthropologist Tim Thompson of Maynooth University in Ireland, the lead author of the study published last month in the journal PLOS One. 'We don't think this was the killing wound, as it would be possible to survive this injury, and it is in an unusual location for such a large cat. We think it indicates the dragging of an incapacitated (deprived of strength) individual,' Thompson said. [3] The discovery illustrates how gladiatorial spectacles with wild animals – often presented by emperors and other influential thinkers or leaders – were not limited to the empire's major cities and extended into its furthest-flung provinces. Researchers said this man's skeleton represents the first known direct physical evidence of human-animal combat from ancient Roman times. [4] Wild animals used in such spectacles included elephants, hippos, rhinos, crocodiles, giraffes, ostriches, bulls, bears, lions, tigers and leopards. For instance, in 2022, archaeologists announced the discovery of the bones of bears and big cats at the Colosseum. 'Predatory animals – above all big cats but also sometimes other animals, for example bears – were pitted as combatants against specialist gladiators, known as venatores,' said study co-author John Pearce, a Roman archaeologist at King's College London. [5] Pearce said that large and aggressive animals were pitted against each other – a bull and bear, for example – and often chained together. Simulated hunts were also staged in arenas, with humans against animals and animals against other animals. Animals were sometimes used as a means of execution for captives and criminals, where the victim was bound or defenceless, Pearce said. [6] Gladiators were typically enslaved people, prisoners of war, criminals and volunteers. 'A popular reputation – as expressed in fan graffiti at Pompeii – money and the possibility of being freed as a successful arena star were incentives and rewards for gladiators,' Pearce said. More than 80 human skeletons, mostly well-built younger men, have been excavated at the cemetery. Many had healed and unhealed injuries consistent with gladiatorial combat and had been decapitated, perhaps by losing a bout. Source: Reuters, April 23 Questions 1. In paragraph 1, the discovery of bite marks on a man's pelvis is significant because it … A. confirms the existence of big cats in ancient Britain. B. provides evidence that gladiators were sometimes buried with the animals they fought. C. offers concrete proof of a type of gladiatorial contest previously known mainly through art and writing. D. none of the above 2. According to paragraph 2, what characteristics of the bite marks on the man's pelvis suggest that a large animal inflicted the bite? 3. Based on paragraph 2, the bite marks on the pelvis suggest … A. the lion attacked and killed the gladiator with a bite to that region. B. the gladiator sustained the injury before fighting the lion. C. the lion was partially immobilised when it attempted to drag the gladiator. D. none of the above 4. Where does the phrase 'further-flung provinces' in paragraph 3 refer to? 5. In paragraph 4, what does the phrase 'above all big cats' suggest about the use of these animals against venatores? 6. Based on paragraph 5, describe two traits of the animals chosen to fight against other animals. 7. According to paragraph 5, which of the following can be inferred about the 'simulated hunts' staged in arenas? A. They exclusively featured unarmed humans facing large predatory animals. B. They involved both human-versus-animal and animal-versus-animal confrontations. C. They usually resulted in the death of all the animals involved. D. They were mainly used to train venatores for gladiatorial combat. 8. Find a term in paragraph 6 that refers to people bought by others and forced to obey and work for them. 9. What do the excavated skeletons in paragraph 6 suggest about the nature of gladiatorial combat? An ancient Roman mosaic of a lion on display at the Bardo National Museum in Tunis, Tunisia, Photo: Reuters Answers 1. C 2. The puncture and scalloping of the bite marks indicate large dentition (teeth) piercing through soft tissues and into the bone, suggesting a large animal. 3. D 4. places such as Eboracum (accept all similar answers) 5. Big cats were frequently used in combat against venatores. (accept all similar answers) 6. They were large and aggressive. 7. B 8. enslaved person 9. Gladiatorial combat is violent and leads to major injuries and death. (accept all reasonable answers)
