The Deadly Prehistory of Cannibalism: From h. antecessor to h. sapiens

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Prehistoric Cannibalism in Europe Early Evidence of Human Consumption Millions of years ago, early human ancestors, such as Australopithecus and Homo habilis, sometimes fell prey to large predators, as evidenced by fossilized bite marks. One 1.45-million-year-old shinbone from Kenya shows stone tool cuts—possibly the earliest sign of humans butchering and perhaps eating other humans. Types of Cannibalism Cannibalism—eating human flesh—has occurred for different reasons: Survival cannibalism – In times of extreme hunger or famine. Ritual/Endocannibalism – Consuming deceased group members as part of funerary customs. Exocannibalism – Eating enemies or outsiders, possibly as an act of dominance or in warfare. Oldest Known Cases Gran Dolina, Spain (~1 million years ago) – Bones of Homo antecessor shows butchering marks, suggesting repeated cannibalism, possibly related to food scarcity or conflict. Arago Cave, France (~450,000 years ago) – Human bones were cut and broken, with some body parts missing, possibly indicating ritualistic practices. Neanderthal Cannibalism: Neanderthals (130,000–40,000 years ago) practiced cannibalism at several sites: Moula-Guercy, France – Six individuals were butchered like animals. Goyet Cave, Belgium – Cut marks and marrow extraction suggest systematic processing. Cueva del Sidrón, Spain – Possibly linked to survival during harsh conditions. Modern Humans (Upper Paleolithic to Bronze Age) Evidence from later periods also points to cannibalism: Gough’s Cave, UK (~14,700 years ago) – Human skulls shaped into cups, with chew marks on bones.


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