European Neanderthals were cannibals, say scientists – RIA Novosti

19:39 07.07.2016

(updated: 22:03 07.07.2016 )

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MOSCOW, July 7 – RIA Novosti Paleontologists have found the first unequivocal evidence that Neanderthals, who lived in Belgium and the north of Europe as a whole, were cannibals, said in an article published in Scientific Reports magazine <.. / p>

in recent years, scientists have found a lot of evidence that the first inhabitants of Europe could eat the meat of their enemies or fellow – for example, last year, paleontologists have discovered that Neanderthals from Marillac cave zachem-to split the bones recently deceased relatives, and their limbs separated from the body. Nevertheless, the issue remains a matter of debate, as many scientists believe that such damage could be part of the burial ritual, rather than signs of cannibalism.

Johannes Krause (Johannes Krause) from the University of Tübingen (Germany) and his colleagues found virtually unequivocal evidence that Neanderthals were indeed cannibals, opened the whole bone cemetery in the third cave complex of Goya in Belgium.

Here, as shown by the excavations carried out by them and the genetic analysis of the data, about 40-45 thousand years ago were killed and butchered bodies of five Neanderthals, about 100 bones were found a group Krause in one corner of the cave. All these bones bore the traces of tools, other damage, as well as hints to the fact that the meat from them tear off the layers. Some of the bones, according to scientists, was imprisoned and became the instruments of labor.

In favor of the fact that the owners of these bones were eating, says that all the bones were broken using blunt objects immediately after the death of the victims cave dwellers (perhaps to extract the bone marrow), and about one third of them were covered chopping scars in areas where they were attached muscles.

The Neanderthals were really harsh creatures and spared neither women nor children – this indicates that the bones eaten by individuals contain the remains of at least one child. At the same time the inhabitants of the cave were not gourmets, and judging by the presence of similar marks on animal bones, often ate their meat.

In terms of genetics, eaten by the Neanderthals little to much different from their relatives who lived in the south of France , Spain and Croatia. This suggests that their numbers were quite low in the last millennium before their extinction. It is not clear whether their cannibalism could, given its association with the development of mad cow disease and other forms of spongiform encephalopathy, affect their disappearance after the advent of the Cro-Magnon.

The bones of Neanderthals, eaten tribe