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Headline: RAW VIDEO: Neanderthals and early humans 'cannibalised those from other tribes'
Caption: New analysis of Neanderthal bones recovered from the Goyet caves in Belgium suggests they may have been cannibalised in a vicious act of tribalism - possibly carried out by our ancestors. The victims of the cannibalism were exclusively women and children who had been brought to the site from elsewhere, researchers say. Cannibalistic practices at the caves in Namur Province were first identified in a 2016 study. But the latest findings indicate that all six individuals whose remains were examined were non-local and that the adult victims were women. The results point to the possibility of violent encounters between human groups in Northern Europe between 45,000 and 41,000 years ago - a period in which Neanderthal populations were declining and Homo sapiens was becoming increasingly dominant. The Goyet caves, excavated in the 19th Century by Edouard Dupont, contain the most significant collection of Neanderthal remains found in Northern Europe. Dupont did not realise the importance of the bones at the time. "The 101 bone remains from at least six individuals were only recently recognised," said Patrick Semal, curator of the anthropological collections at the Institute of Natural Sciences. "A 2016 study showed that one-third of the bones – mainly from the lower limbs - show traces of cannibalism: cut marks, notches and/or circular impacts. These last traces are impacts made to break the bone in order to extract the marrow, a highly caloric soft tissue." The remains were processed in a similar way to animal bones found at the site, suggesting the cannibalism was driven by the need for food. Ritual cannibalism has also been documented among both Neanderthals and Homo sapiens, but in such cases the bones are far less intensively modified. Although the remains are highly fragmented and the original archaeological context is poorly recorded, researchers combined genetics, isotope analysis and morphology to build a picture of the victims. Nuclear DNA revealed that the four adult or adolescent individuals were women. The two children – an infant and a child aged between 6.5 and 12.5 years – were boys. The adult women belonged to different maternal lineages. "The composition – women and children, without adult men - cannot be coincidental: it reflects a deliberate selection of victims by the cannibals," said Isabelle Crevecoeur, research director at CNRS and co-author of the study. Sulphur isotope analysis showed the victims were not local. The isotopic signature of sulphur in bones reflects diet and drinking water, varying with local geology. "The fact that the cannibalised women and children came from elsewhere indicates 'exocannibalism': the consumption of individuals belonging to one or more external groups." The women also appeared to be slim. Their femurs and tibias were far less robust than those of Neanderthals from other sites, and their estimated height of around 1.50m further supports the possibility of selective targeting. Researchers believe the victims were brought to Goyet before being killed and consumed. Similar behaviour is observed among chimpanzees as a way of weakening neighbouring groups or asserting territorial dominance. Cannibalism in the context of intergroup conflict is also well documented in ethno-archaeological studies.The researchers have not ruled out Homo Sapiens, our species, as the cannibals, but believe the most likely culprits are other Neanderthals. "The Goyet site provides food for thought," said Mr Semal. "The results indicate possible conflicts between groups at the end of the Middle Palaeolithic, a period when Neanderthal groups were dwindling and Homo sapiens was in full expansion in Northern Europe. We cannot rule out that the cannibals were Homo sapiens, but we rather think they were Neanderthals. Some of the fragmented bones were also used to retouch stone tools, and this practice is known mainly among Neanderthals." The study has been published in Scientific Reports.
Keywords: feature,video,photo,cannibals,history,human,neanderthals,homo sapiens
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