Archaeologists have discovered evidence of cannibalism among Neolithic people in southern Spain, and in different communities it may have been associated both with violence and with ritual practices. Researchers analyzed about 1,000 human bones and teeth from 3 caves, Phys.org reports, writes UNN.
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A team led by Palmira Saladié of the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution studied the remains for cut marks, fractures, signs of cooking, and human bite marks.
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In Malalmuerzo Cave, researchers discovered the bones of at least 36 people, dating to approximately 5300–4950 BC. Scientists suggest that these people may have died during a single episode of violence. More than half of the remains showed signs of boiling, and 2 skulls had injuries caused by blows from blunt objects.
Drinking bowls were made from human skulls
In Cueva de Carigüela, archaeologists found processing marks on nearly all of the human bones examined. An especially unusual discovery was 2 skulls that had been repurposed as drinking bowls.
A different picture emerged in Majólicas Cave. The remains found there date to approximately 3950–3760 BC and had been painted with red ochre. According to the researchers, this may indicate that the treatment of human remains was part of a ritual or funerary practice.
The study’s authors concluded that cannibalism was practiced in Neolithic communities in southern Spain during different periods and, probably, for different reasons—from violent conflicts to rituals.