Researchers find traces of cannibalism in Spanish caves, including Maholikas, 3760–3950 BC
Analysis of finds from Spanish caves suggests ancient Europeans practiced cannibalism for millennia, not always because of hunger; in some cases it may have been a funeral rite.
Ancient Europeans practiced cannibalism for millennia, and eating human flesh was not always linked to hunger. Scientists draw this conclusion from an analysis of finds made in Spanish caves, wtftime reports wtftime.ru
wtftimewtftime.ruOpen source ↗. In at least some cases, the researchers believe, cannibalism was a way of saying farewell to deceased relatives. Residents of the Maholikas cave in Granada province may have eaten their kin in 3760–3950 BC.
Cinnabar and funeral rites
Bones found in the caves retain traces of red cinnabar pigment, which was used in funeral rites. The researchers found no signs of violent death, and the cave held no evidence of ordinary burials or cremation. For this reason, archaeologists suggest that local people ate the bodies of deceased relatives as part of some rituals.
Miguel Botella, an anthropologist at the University of Granada, believes that such rites helped ancient people maintain a symbolic bond with the dead. Similar funeral traditions have historically existed among some peoples of South America.
Other cave finds
Other examples look different. In the Malalmuerzo cave, scientists found many human remains with traces of heat treatment and removal of soft tissue wtftime.ru
wtftimewtftime.ruOpen source ↗. According to archaeologists, about 7 thousand years ago a mass killing may have taken place there, followed by eating the bodies of the dead.
Some ancient Spaniards also made bowls from human skulls. Such vessels were found in the Carigüela cave, and their age may also reach 7 thousand years. The practice of cannibalism itself is considerably older: a bone with characteristic marks found in Kenya dates to 1.45 million years ago.
