conv.

All stories
ScienceQuiet 12d · day 16

Spanish caves reveal Neolithic cannibalism took three distinct forms

Archaeological study of bones from three sites shows prehistoric communities practiced cannibalism for different reasons over millennia.

newest coverage 12d agosummary written 3d ago4 pieces MastodonNewswires

What to know

  • Analysis of nearly 1,000 bones from three Spanish caves shows Neolithic communities practiced cannibalism in distinctly different ways, contradicting decades of interpretation of it as a single uniform behavior.
  • The three sites reveal different contexts: Malalmuerzo shows violent collective killing around 5000 BCE, Carigüela spans multiple periods with ritualistic elements like skull cups, and Majolicas shows non-violent ritualistic or funerary practices around 3800 BCE.
  • Evidence points to three separate eras of European Neolithic cannibalism across different time periods, each with different apparent motivations, though researchers cannot determine a single common cause.

“Cannibalism was sometimes on the Neolithic menu, as numerous archaeological discoveries have revealed. But while ancient human bones show the practice took place, far less evidence exists about the forms it may have taken or why people occasionally consumed one another.”

Phys.org, Science publication · Phys.org ↗

Antonio Rodríguez-Hidalgo Study co-author, archaeologistPalmira Saladié Study co-author, archaeologist

Spanish caves reveal Neolithic cannibalism took three distinct forms
popsci.com

How it unfolded 3 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts

Peak 1 piece in 4h at Sep 8, 2 PM; 4 pieces over 16 days (1 article · 3 posts) Sep 8, 2 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 8, 6 PM — quietSep 8, 10 PM — quietSep 9, 2 AM — quietSep 9, 6 AM — 1 piece · 1 article — Newswires 1Sep 9, 10 AM — quietSep 9, 2 PM — quietSep 9, 6 PM — quietSep 9, 10 PM — quietSep 10, 2 AM — quietSep 10, 6 AM — quietSep 10, 10 AM — quietSep 10, 2 PM — quietSep 10, 6 PM — quietSep 10, 10 PM — quietSep 11, 2 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 11, 6 AM — quietSep 11, 10 AM — quietSep 11, 2 PM — quietSep 11, 6 PM — quietSep 11, 10 PM — quietSep 12, 2 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 12, 6 AM — quietSep 12, 10 AM — quietSep 12, 2 PM — quietSep 12, 6 PM — quietSep 12, 10 PM — quietSep 13, 2 AM — quietSep 13, 6 AM — quietSep 13, 10 AM — quietSep 13, 2 PM — quietSep 13, 6 PM — quietSep 13, 10 PM — quietSep 14, 2 AM — quietSep 14, 6 AM — quietSep 14, 10 AM — quietSep 14, 2 PM — quietSep 14, 6 PM — quietSep 14, 10 PM — quietSep 15, 2 AM — quietSep 15, 6 AM — quietSep 15, 10 AM — quietSep 15, 2 PM — quietSep 15, 6 PM — quietSep 15, 10 PM — quietSep 16, 2 AM — quietSep 16, 6 AM — quietSep 16, 10 AM — quietSep 16, 2 PM — quietSep 16, 6 PM — quietSep 16, 10 PM — quietSep 17, 2 AM — quietSep 17, 6 AM — quietSep 17, 10 AM — quietSep 17, 2 PM — quietSep 17, 6 PM — quietSep 17, 10 PM — quietSep 18, 2 AM — quietSep 18, 6 AM — quietSep 18, 10 AM — quietSep 18, 2 PM — quietSep 18, 6 PM — quietSep 18, 10 PM — quietSep 19, 2 AM — quietSep 19, 6 AM — quietSep 19, 10 AM — quietSep 19, 2 PM — quietSep 19, 6 PM — quietSep 19, 10 PM — quietSep 20, 2 AM — quietSep 20, 6 AM — quietSep 20, 10 AM — quietSep 20, 2 PM — quietSep 20, 6 PM — quietSep 20, 10 PM — quietSep 21, 2 AM — quietSep 21, 6 AM — quietSep 21, 10 AM — quietSep 21, 2 PM — quietSep 21, 6 PM — quietSep 21, 10 PM — quietSep 22, 2 AM — quietSep 22, 6 AM — quietSep 22, 10 AM — quietSep 22, 2 PM — quietSep 22, 6 PM — quietSep 22, 10 PM — quietYesterday, 2 AM — quietYesterday, 6 AM — quietYesterday, 10 AM — quietYesterday, 2 PM — quietYesterday, 6 PM — quietYesterday, 10 PM — quietToday, 2 AM — quietToday, 6 AM — quiet 1–23
Sep 10Sep 12Sep 14Sep 16Sep 18Sep 20Sep 22now · 8:50 AM ET
  1. 3

    Three eras of Neolithic cannibalism identified across Europe

    Combined with other archaeological findings, the evidence suggests cannibalism during the European Neolithic occurred in three distinct time periods: late sixth millennium BCE, middle fifth millennium BCE, and end of third millennium BCE, though motivations remain unclear.

    “We cannot say that all these episodes had a common cause, but we can say that throughout the Neolithic… there was a context of conflict and/or manipulation of human remains.”
    — Palmira Saladié
    • RadicalAnthro@c.im

      Forms of human # cannibalism in the Iberian # Neolithic https:// phys.org/news/2026-09-ancient- bones-reveal-cannibalism-neolithic.html#goog_rewarded

      RadicalAnthro@c.imMastodon12d agoview on Mastodon ↗
  2. 1 day quiet
  3. 1

    Majolicas cave shows ritualistic cannibalism around 3800 BCE

    Remains at Majolicas show cannibalism that does not appear linked to violence; instead, bones are stained red with cinnabar mineral, pointing to ritualistic or funerary motives.

  4. background

    Carigüela cave spans multiple periods with ritualistic practices — Bones from Carigüela span multiple Neolithic time periods and include two skulls fashioned into drinking cups, indicating varied practices across different eras.

  5. background

    Malalmuerzo cave shows single violent episode around 5000 BCE — Examination of bones from Malalmuerzo revealed evidence of a single brutal collective violence event involving victims of multiple ages, with similar butchering techniques and boiling preparations.

  6. 2

    Study published on Neolithic cannibalism forms in Spain

    Researchers published findings in the Journal of Archaeological Science analyzing nearly 1,000 bones from three caves in Granada, Spain (Malalmuerzo, Carigüela, and Majolicas), showing that prehistoric cannibalism took different forms across time and location.

    “For decades, prehistoric cannibalism has tended to be interpreted as a single type of behavior. Our work shows that it is not possible to speak of a single form of 'Neolithic cannibalism'.”
    — Antonio Rodríguez-Hidalgo

    1. 1 outlet first by Phys.org, 14d ago · read ↗

    • Cannibalism returned to the menu multiple times in Neolithic Europe https://www. popsci.com/science/neolithic-c annibalism-europe/?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub Posted into Science @ science-PopularScience

      PopularScience@flipboard.comMastodon15d agoview on Mastodon ↗

What people are saying 0 voices from 0 sites · best of 2 · verbatim