A new study finds that prehistoric people called the Magdalenians regularly practiced cannibalism as part of their funerary rituals. These rituals occurred between 14,000 and 19,000 years ago in northwestern Europe. The cannibalism appears to have ended when the Epigravettians replaced the Magdalenians and buried their dead instead.
What Researchers Found
The research was published by Silvia Bello, an archaeologist and anthropologist at the Natural History Museum in London, and William Marsh, a postdoctoral researcher at the Natural History Museum, in the journal Quaternary Science Reviews.
The researchers examined 15,000-year-old human remains from Gough’s Cave in Western England. They uncovered bones with human bite marks and indentations. They also examined other Magdalenian sites with human remains in Germany, Spain, Russia, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Portugal. Bello and Marsh deciphered the funerary practices at 25 of the sites.
The Magdalenians appeared to have broken some of the larger bones to scoop out their marrow and made cups and bowls out of skull fragments, likely to use as drinking vessels (read more about human skull cups and bowls here and here).
Questions Still Remain
Bello stated, “The question has always been, is this cannibalistic behavior exclusive to Gough’s Cave? Was it something strange that happened during a very bad winter, or was it something more?”
The researchers uncovered evidence of cannibalism during the Upper Paleolithic period in northwest Europe. They used genetic research to come to their conclusions—which included samples from the remains of just eight individuals. Bello conceded that the genetic sampling is small and is willing to do more studies and “be completely wrong” about the conclusions.
Cannibalism occurred in northern and western Europe among Magdalenian groups. However, it did not occur among Epigravettian groups, who lived in eastern and southern Europe. When Epigravettian groups transplanted Magdalenian groups, rates of funerary cannibalism dropped.
(Image credit: Trustees of the Natural History Museum)
Magdalenians were hunter-gatherers who hunted reindeer, horses, bison, and other large animals. They occupied northwest Europe between 17,000 and 12,000 years ago. Archaeologists have found thousands of Magdalenian relics in southwest France in a rock shelter. The Epigravettians lived in southern and eastern Europe at approximately the same time.
University of Brighton archaeologist and cannibalism expert James Cole, who was not involved in the study, states that the research offers a “fine-grained look” at the different cultures, but the small genetic sample only suggests that Epigravettian burial culture replaced the Magdalenian’s cannibalism. Other researchers also agree that more data is necessary to arrive at a more solid conclusion.
Sensing You Want More
Looking for more cannibal content? We’ve got you covered!
While this study indicates that the Magdalenian’s ate their dead for cultural purposes, the Korowai tribe eat human flesh to ward off evil. Learn more about the tribe at Ripley’s Cooking With Cannibals.
There are also other species who engage in cannibalism, check out our video below as we dive into cannibal animals!
Still looking for more? Evidence indicates that cannibalism dates as far back as 500 B.C.! Get up close and personal with a cannibal fork discovered in the Fiji Islands.
By Noelle Talmon, contributor for Ripleys.com