Neanderthal Women and Children Were the Victims of Selective Cannibalism at Goyet, Study Reveals

Neanderthal women and children were the victims of selective cannibalism at Goyet, study reveals

The study of an assemblage of Neanderthal human bones discovered in the Troisième caverne of Goyet (Belgium) has brought to light selective cannibalistic behavior primarily targeting female adults and children between 41,000 and 45,000 years ago.

Scientists found 44,000-year-old fossil evidence in Belgium that six neanderthals, all women and children, were hunted and eaten by another group of neanderthals. "Weaker members of one or multiple groups... were deliberately targeted."

These Neanderthals May Have Eaten Their Enemies

At least 41,000 years ago, a grizzly scene may have played out in dark limestone caves located in what’s now Belgium. Neanderthals appear to have feasted on their own species, according to the remains of more than six individuals that were unearthed at an archaeological site called the Troisième Caverne. The victims included four adolescent or adult females and a young male, according to a recent paper published in Scientific Reports. This adds …