Grisly discovery in Spain reveals Neanderthal family was butchered and eaten

[Ichingcarpenter]

Nearly a decade ago, a group of cave explorers stumbled upon a large collection of Neanderthal remains in the El Sidrón cave system in north western Spain. In new research presented to the Royal Society in London, scientists have revealed the grisly truth of how these Neanderthals died and what happened next.

Using modern forensics techniques, including DNA analysis, the researchers found that twelve Neanderthals, all from the same family, including three adult females, three adult males, three teenage boys and three children 2-9 years old, were all butchered and then eaten. “We think Neanderthal groups were about 10-12 strong so this may have been a complete family group, although someone may have got away,” said biologist Carles Lalueza-Fox from the Institute of Evolutionary Biology in Barcelona.

The scientists found that the bones had been stripped of meat and cracked open to extract the marrow. The skulls were opened to eat the brains and tongues.

- See more at: http://www.ancient-origins.net/news-evolution-human-origins/grisly-discovery-spain-reveals-neanderthal-family-was-butchered-and#sthash.oDktNB5C.dpuf


Another link: http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/Science/article1344526.ece


Another link:


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2512665/Talk-having-neighbours-round-dinner-Scientists-site-DOZEN-Neanderthals-killed-eaten-single-feast.html


Researchers had considered whether the cannibalised neanderthals had been killed by modern humans, although this was ruled out when dating techniques revealed that the remains pre-dated homo-sapiens in Spain by thousands of years.

By analysing the stone tools used by the killers the scientists found that they had probably come from a few miles away, leading them to conclude that the culprits were probably neanderthals from a neighbouring group.





Just in time for thanksgiving.....

[xchrom]

1. du rec.

[Silent3]

2. At least they were free-range Neanderthals. n/t

[Ichingcarpenter]

3. For the win... macabre dark humour

Or should I say morbid dark humour?

[Botany]

4. Neanderthal Tongue mmmmmm!

with some sour cream and chives and a nice Spanish Red Wine

[stevenleser]

13. I would have thought fava beans and a nice Chianti!

[LuvNewcastle]

5. Modern humans can't really judge the Neanderthals.

There are too many documented cases of modern human cannibals in ancient times and more recently. And they haven't only done it because there was no other food to be found, either. It seems like cannibalism is naturally distasteful to us, but apparently is has a lot more to do with nurture than nature.

[Enthusiast]

6. I agree...........nt

[Ichingcarpenter]

9. Agreed but

I wish we had a dating of the bones which would
give a better understanding the environmental conditions which surrounded this to see how it might have happened either because of climate or culture or both.

We do know this has happened many time, for example, the Anasazi culture did cannibalism at the end due to environmental factors as did the Crashed football players did in the Andes to survive ..





All the fine young cannibals

[LuvNewcastle]

12. The Aztecs practiced it, and it seems to have been a cultural thing

and not out of necessity. I don't remember if the Inca or other tribes in Central and South America practiced it. They've found evidence that there was cannibalism among modern humans in parts of Europe in ancient times also, but I haven't heard if it was cultural or done merely because of a lack of food. Some tribes in Africa and New Guinea have been cannibals, too, even in recent times, and I think at least for some of them it was more of a cultural thing.

Some peoples have practiced anthropophagy as well, where they eat the bodies of loved ones, and that has religious significance for them.

Cannibalism has shown up in a variety of cultures all over the world, and it's been done as much for cultural and religious reasons as from necessity. Several American serial killers have eaten victims, although in our culture it's considered a sign of insanity or depravity. We can't imagine doing it unless we were starving, but some peoples throughout history have attached meaning to it. I think we in our culture like to think that it's innately distasteful, but I believe we might see it very differently if our culture told us it was a desirable thing to do.

[dimbear]

17. One idea is that the Aztecs used cannibalism as a terror weapon. We will kill you and eat you.

OK, maybe we won't mess with you, then.

That may explain the Anasazi bones in the stew pot.

[Coyotl]

20. Do not confuse Spanish propaganda and lies with facts.

But, if you must believe the Spaniards, guess what, the primary sources supporting this idea also say, brace yourself ... Jews are cannibals.

The Cannibalism Paradigm: Assessing Contact Period Ethnohistorical Discourse
http://jqjacobs.net/anthro/cannibalism.html

[kristopher]

18. "Anasazi culture did cannibalism at the end due to environmental factors"

Is this a recent finding? It doesn't jibe with what I know of what's been found. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the evidence for the cannibalism is limited to fossilized human feces in a fire pit that showed evidence of cannibalism.

As I recall the debate, the most likely explanation given the way the fire pit was defiled, was that it was probably a rogue individual.

Have there been recent developments that tell us more?

[Coyotl]

19. That is NOT correct.

First, it is called Ancestral Puebloan culture, not Anasazi.
Second, this is an archaeoiogical "culture" and likely encompasses numerous self-identifying cultures (tribes).
Third, the number of incidences in the archaeological record is small and spatially and temporally much more limited than the "culture" area.
Fourth, where is the evidence? as you indicate.

Christie Turner's book, "Man Corn" is great on this topic.

[kristopher]

21. You're responding to the wrong post perhaps?

The title was a quote from post #9.

You mention that it's "Ancestral Puebloan culture, not Anasazi" and I'm obliged to you for the correction. Even though I didn't author that sentence, I would have made that mistake if given the chance.
My undergrad major was cultural anthropology and I'd lived in NM for a couple of years, so when I had the chance 11 years ago to visit I couldn't let it pass. I camped at the 4 Corners area for a couple of days and did a cursory bit of research around that time.
I'll look for Christie Turner's book. Thanks.

[Coyotl]

22. I realized the context.

I took three archaeology graduate classes from Dr. Turner at ASU, including his "cannibalism" class.

[Ichingcarpenter]

24. At four different sites but it is contested on who

did it.....But to me it wasn't the point I was trying to make.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/06/0601_wireanasazi.html

My point is on the my original story which points to somebody ate about 1000 lbs of meat at this site. which makes it not ritual cannibalism by who ever did this.

As far as Aztec cannibalism.

Noted scholar Michael D. Coe states that while "it is incontrovertible that some of these victims ended up by being eaten ritually […], the practice was more like a form of communion than a cannibal feast".


In 2005 the INAH reported that some of the bodies found under Mexico City's Metropolitan Cathedral, i.e. the basement of Aztec temples, showed cut marks indicating the removal of muscles from the bones, though not all the bodies show this treatment.

In August 2006, Reuters reported that an analysis of the skeletons of 550 victims killed after the conquest and found near Calpulalpan, Tlaxcala, indicate that some of the victims were dismembered, and that many bones showed knife, teeth marks and evidence of boiling

http://www.boston.com/news/world/latinamerica/articles/2006/08/24/bones_back_idea_aztecs_retaliated_vs_spanish/

[Katashi_itto]

7. Benghazi

[PeoViejo]

8. One must have escaped

to become the ancestor of modern Conservatives. After all eating their own seems to be a trait that remains in the Gene Pool.

[JimboBillyBubbaBob]

11. Wow,

well said!

[A Simple Game]

10. I love these threads with Thanksgiving menu ideas. n/t

[Coyotl]

23. I wonder if they taste like monkey.

Or missionary

[A Simple Game]

25. I doesn't matter if you have enough barbecue sauce. n/t

[warrior1]

14. First settlers in Jamestown

did this too.

[DeSwiss]

15. You. Do. Not. F#&*. With. The. Homo. Sapiens-Sapiens. Okay?

- We didn't climb to the top of the food chain, we whittled it down to where we were. And we've been stuck here ever since.....

[Ichingcarpenter]

16. Except humans weren't around then.

Consumption of a person from within the same community is called endocannibalism; ritual cannibalism of the recently deceased can be part of the grieving process,[16] or a way of guiding the souls of the dead into the bodies of living descendants.[17] ....... I don't think it was this kind


Exocannibalism is the consumption of a person from outside the community, usually as a celebration of victory against a rival tribe.[17] Both types of cannibalism can also be fueled by the belief that eating a person's flesh or internal organs will endow the cannibal with some of the characteristics of the deceased...... maybe it was this kind


Anyway for more thanksgiving ideas and treats

See wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannibalism