An international teamfound evidence of cultural cannibalism among Magdalenian communities in Maszycka Cave, Poland, according to a recent study published in Scientific Reports. The research places the site among five known locations in Europe displaying clear signs of cannibalism from this period.
Researchers analyzed 63 human bone fragments from the cave, dating back 18,000 years, and found that they bore cut marks and intentional fractures related to human consumption, including attempts to extract caloric bone marrow, according to National Geographic.
“Skulls from Maszycka Cave showed deep cuts associated with scalp and facial tissue removal,” reported HeritageDaily. Long bones, such as the femur and humerus, exhibited break marks that suggest marrow extraction, a vital source of fats and calories.
“The location and frequency of the cut marks and the intentional smashing of the skeletons clearly show that the bodies were exploited for food,” stated Francesc Marginedas, the lead author of the study, according to Focus Online. “This behavior could be related to intergroup tensions and territorial conflicts during the Magdalenian, reflecting survival needs or ritual practices,” said co-author Palmira Saladié, an archaeologist at IPHES-CERCA.
“The Maszycka Cave is a very interesting but at the same time very mysterious site. It is a remnant of a campsite of a group of people who arrived 18,000 years ago from the areas of Western Europe. They were representatives of a cultural unit that we call the Magdalenian culture,” said archaeologist Dariusz Bobak, according to Nauka w Polsce.
After the last glacial maximum, the final glaciation of the Pleistocene 20,000 years ago, populations increased in Europe, which may have intensified competition for resources and led to confrontations between different early human communities. The findings suggest that cannibalism was not a result of hunger. “They had something to eat; it seems that cannibalism did not result from hunger,” Dr. Marta Połtowicz-Bobak said.
In addition to human bones, researchers found remains of slaughtered animals mixed with human remains, both exhibiting similar breakage patterns for food extraction, indicating the site's importance as a late Palaeolithic period location. The bones belonged to at least ten people, including six adults and four children, according to Focus Online.
3D microscopy techniques allowed the researchers to identify cut marks and fractures on the bones.
Researchers discovered that the skulls also exhibited fractures indicating access to the brain, which is a highly nutritious organ. The evidence supports the theory of “war cannibalism”—eating enemies as a form of aggression or dominance. Such conflicts may have resulted in violent confrontations, where cannibalism served as a form of retribution or intimidation.
Currently in Europe, there are five sites from this period with clear evidence of cannibalism, indicating that such practices were not isolated incidents, reports National Geographic. In contrast, funerary practices have been documented in other contemporary sites, such as Gough's Cave in the United Kingdom, where skulls were ritualized.
The age profile of the skeletons corresponds to that of a complete nuclear family, suggesting they may have been attacked, overwhelmed, and then butchered. Archaeologists believe that the abrupt end to the group's presence in the Maszycka Cave indicates that something violent happened there. “There must have been either a sudden death of these people or a flight. In any case, leaving the artifacts indicates that something violent happened here,” stated Bobak.
In addition to human remains, a collection of bone tools was found in the Maszycka Cave, which usually do not preserve in such quantities at archaeological sites. All the bones were made available for research by the Archaeological Museum in Kraków, which holds a collection of artifacts from the Maszycka Cave.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.