Around 850,000 years ago, a young child was found decapitated and showed signs of cannibalism. This discovery comes from the Gran Dolina cave in northern Spain, part of the Atapuerca archaeological site and is a striking revelation about our ancient relatives. The analysis reveals that the child was between 2 and 5 years old at the time of death.
Palmira Saladié, who co-directs the excavation at Gran Dolina, commented on the precision of the cut marks found on the child’s neck bone. She stated, “This is direct evidence that the child was processed like any other prey.” This chilling insight highlights not just the circumstances of the child’s death but also the practices of early human relatives.
Recent excavations have uncovered ten skeletons, all from the species Homo antecessor, known to have existed around 770,000 years ago. This species is unique to the Atapuerca site, leaving many questions about its place in our ancestral tree. Experts are still debating whether H. antecessor led to Neanderthals and modern humans or branched off from a more primitive lineage.
Gran Dolina has been an essential site for understanding human evolution. Over the past 30 years, some 30% of bones found there bear cut marks indicative of cannibalistic behavior. Saladié noted that the preservation of these bones is impressive, featuring human bite marks that confirm these early humans consumed their own kind.
The recent findings align with the belief that early humans utilized cannibalism not just for survival but possibly for controlling territory and resources. Saladié remarked, “The treatment of the dead was not exceptional, but repeated.” This suggests that cannibalistic behavior was part of their culture rather than an isolated event.
The ten skeletons, including that of the child, were found in a layer dating back to between 850,000 and 780,000 years ago, making them the oldest evidence of human relatives in Europe and the earliest known instance of human cannibalism to date. Although there’s older evidence of potential cannibalism in Kenya from 1.45 million years ago, it is less certain.
As excavations continue at Gran Dolina, new discoveries await. Experts like Saladié emphasize the need to understand how these ancient humans lived and treated their dead. Each find challenges our understanding of human behavior thousands of years ago and sheds light on our complex evolutionary history.
For further insights on human evolution, you can refer to the Australian Museum’s overview of Homo antecessor here.
