sciencetech-blog

comments

Neanderthals may have eaten recently deceased friends and family either for food or in bizarre funeral rituals.

This is according to marks found on the fossils of two adults and a child unearthed in the French region of Poitou-Charentes.

Similar marks have been seen at other Neanderthal sites showing how our ancestors cut and fractured the bones of their dead relatives.

Neanderthals may have eaten deceased friends and family either for food or in bizarre funeral rituals. This is according to cuts seen on a number of fossils dating back 57,600 years. Pictured is cuts on a forearm bone

Since the Marillac site in France was unearthed, the discovery of fossil remains of animals, humans and tools has allowed the site to be identified as a hunting area for Neanderthals.

The latest study has, for the first time, studied the bones of three individuals found between 1967 and 1980 at the French site dating back some 57,600 years.

These are an incomplete diaphysis – or the middle part of long bones - of a right forearm bone, another of a left leg bone and the majority of a right thigh bone. The latter belonged to a child.

When compared to the remains of other Neanderthals and modern humans, scientists found bone marks made shortly after death.

Cut marks seen on the thigh bone of the Neanderthal child. María Dolores Garralda, professor at the Complutense University of Madrid, and lead authors told SINC: 'Some Neanderthal groups cut and tore apart child or adult corpses shortly after death using lytic instruments'

María Dolores Garralda, professor at the Complutense University of Madrid, and lead authors told SINC: 'Some Neanderthal groups cut and tore apart child or adult corpses shortly after death using lytic instruments.'

The thigh bone fragment, which appears to be from a child who died at the age of 9 or 10, shows two large cut marks half a centimetre apart.

From its state of preservation, the researchers suggest that the bone was fractured when still fresh with the aim of separating the upper and lower extreme of the thigh bone, where the joints are located.

The upper edge exhibits marks of a 'post-mortem' impact with markings that do not follow natural separation of the bones.

The lower region had a clear, oblique spiral break which seems to have occurred while the bone was fresh.

'Given the morphology of the fractures, it may be that the body of this child was manipulated shortly after death,' Professor Garralda said.

'The right leg received a series of blows that fractured the femur, and the cut marks identified are anthropic in nature; in other words, there is no visible evidence of animal bites.'

The bones of the two adults show these and other markings. The fragment of the radius, possibly belonging to a man, also has small, fine cut marks made with flint tools shortly after death.

'The most significant are three striations together crossing over each other while the bone was still fresh,' the study says.

In the leg bone, although the fresh fractures of both extremes can be seen, there are also signs of damage at the lower end.But 'there is no evidence of cut

Similar marks have been seen at other Neanderthal sites showing how our ancestors cut and fractured the bones of their dead relatives

As for the leg bone, although the fresh fractures of both extremes can be seen, there are also signs of damage at the lower end.

But 'there is no evidence of cuts or traces of carnivores' teeth,' the researcher insists.

The expert remains cautious regarding the of cannibalism, due to the large number of animal bones found on the site

'They might have been rituals – still in the 21st century these continue in certain parts of the world – or for food – gastronomic cannibalism or due to need,' the authors claim.

'To date we have been able to demonstrate these manipulations at several Neanderthal sites in Europe, which are of course much more recent, including in groups of contemporary humans, but we have not been able to demonstrate the consumption of human meat by Neanderthals,' Professor Garralda said.

The expert remains cautious regarding the of cannibalism, due to the large number of animal bones found on the site. The discovery was made in the French region of Poitou-Charentes in south-western France