Neolithic Cannibalism in Spain Spanned Centuries, Took Many Forms
Analysis of 714 bones from 36 people suggests repeated cannibalism at the caves, with boiling, marrow extraction and skulls shaped into cups.
- Archaeologist Palmira Saladi of the Catalan Institute analyzed 714 bone fragments from 36 individuals found in three Granada caves, dating the assemblage to roughly 5300 to 4950 B.C.E. and confirming recurring Neolithic cannibalism.
- Microscopic analysis revealed bones purposely stripped of flesh with stone tools, cracked for marrow, and boiled, with uneven breakage patterns indicating processing occurred shortly after death and suggesting systematic, repeated activity.
- Researchers discovered two bone cups fashioned from human skulls at Carig, while other remains were covered in powdered cinnabar and skulls were deliberately opened to extract brains through the endocranial cavity.
- Scholars debate two primary theories for these Neolithic practices: exocannibalism involving captured enemies or endocannibalism as a funerary ritual, though distinguishing between violence and reverence in the archaeological record remains uncertain.
- While butchery marks at the Malalmuerzo site were reported as early as 1973, the remains sat unanalyzed for decades until Saladi's team applied modern radiocarbon dating to unlock secrets from this previously overlooked collection.
19 Articles
19 Articles
AN ANALYSIS of bones from three caves in Granada confirms that cannibalism was a widespread practice in Neolithic southern Spain, with evidence of violence, ritual and specific skull processing.
Possible massacre and cannibalism 7,000 years ago uncovered in Granada
Analysis of nearly 1,000 bones found in three caves in Granada shows that cannibalism was a recurring Neolithic practice, with signs of collective violence, possible rituals and skulls turned into containers.
It is already known that everything is possible in Granada, and something has just happened there: cannibalism was practiced "recurringly" during the Neolithic. Also, by extension, in the rest of Europe. But the study that has now come to light focuses on Granada.
An international team of scientists has reanalyzed nearly 1,000 human remains from three Neolithic caves in Granada, southern Spain, and published their findings in the Journal of Archaeological Science. They indicate that cannibalism occurred there at different times and in different social contexts.
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