Archaeologists discover ancient cannibalism in Spain

Over two dozen human bones discovered in a Spanish cave have revealed the cannibalistic practices of the Mesolithic people, with evidence suggesting the dead were cooked and eaten. These can be seen above Archaeologists also discovered animal remains with similar markings at the site – but, whether these ancient people butchered and consumed their own as a part of ritual funerary behaviours or as a result of food scarcity remains a mystery And, those identified on the human remains were found to line up with the markings seen on common prey of the Mesolithic hunters, including ibex, red deer, wild boar, fox, and rabbit. The markings identified on the human remains were found to line up with the markings seen on common prey of the Mesolithic hunters, including ibex, red deer, wild boar, fox, and rabbit To be sure that they’d found evidence of ‘anthropophagic behaviour,’ the researchers analyzed the remains based on a previously determined set of characteristics to diagnose cannibalism With the exception of fossilized human waste, the remains met all of the requirements. While the practice could be linked to ritualistic behaviour, the researchers note that the discovery lines up with a cultural change in the region, during the Epipalaeolithic-Mesolithic transition Given the time period, they say the increase of social complexity and burial rituals may have played a role in the unusual behaviour According to the study, cannibalism was rare in the Mesolithic in this context, as no other evidence of the practice has been discovered on remains in the western Mediterranean.