Study of 40,000-year-old bones from women and children show signs of butchery
A study of Neanderthal remains has unearthed evidence of ‘light, selective’ cannibalism targeting women and girls around 40,000 years ago.
The spine-chilling new research revealed a gruesome chapter of prehistory in a Belgian cave after scientists sifted through fragmented skeletons.
The investigation discovered fresh-bone fractures, percussion marks and cut traces identical to those left on hunted animal carcasses – all clear signs of butchery.
Published in Scientific Reports, the investigation concludes a decade of detective work by an international team from the CNRS, the Université de Bordeaux and Aix-Marseille, reports the Mirror.
They re-examined findings from the Troisième caverne of Goyet – a renowned site in northern Europe – using state-of-the-art tools.
Ancient DNA identified at least six individuals, radiocarbon dating was used to establish the timeline, isotopes were used to trace the origins of the victims, and even virtual reconstructions were used to piece together bones shattered into fragments.
The study revealed that the victims were predominantly adult females and children, while genetic clues suggest they weren’t locals but were outsiders who were likely brought to the cave and eaten for sustenance.
That targeted savagery, the researchers suggest, might mirror Stone Age territorial disputes as Neanderthal bands competed for territory and resources during a chaotic era – a period when the area teemed with varied Neanderthal societies and the earliest modern humans were advancing into neighbouring territories.
It presents a harsh, chilling glimpse into a realm where existence was ruthless and being “not from around here” could prove a deadly designation.
Whilst cannibalism amongst Neanderthals wasn’t widespread, Goyet’s most recent discoveries expose precisely how vicious life on the Ice Age borderlands could become – and how the strains of that time might have driven communities to appalling lengths.
