Scientists Find Oldest Evidence of Cannibalism: Child Eaten 850,000 Years Ago

Modern humans' ancestors were cannibals: Scientists have discovered gruesome evidence that ancient humans ate small children 850,000 years ago.

Archaeologists working at the Gran Dolina cave in Atapuerca, northern Spain, have discovered a human neck bone belonging to a child who died between the ages of two and four, the Daily Mail reports. They say it shows clear marks of butchering, providing direct evidence that the infant was decapitated and eaten by cannibals.

The vertebra was found along with other bones and teeth belonging to Homo antecessor, the last common ancestor of Homo sapiens and Neanderthals. It was discovered by a team from the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution (IPHES), which has been excavating the site for more than three decades. Almost a third of all the bones found in the cave to date have cut marks, indicating that these ancient humans were cannibals.

"This case is particularly striking not only because of the age of the child, but also because of the precision of the cut marks," said Dr. Palmira Saladieh, co-director of the Gran Dolina excavations. "The vertebrae show clear cuts at key anatomical points for the removal of the head. This is direct evidence that the child was treated like any other prey."

Experts say it is unusual to find evidence of a child being eaten and - if their theory is correct - the discovery is the earliest evidence of the practice to date.

The prehistoric ancestors in question lived between 1.2 and 800,000 years ago and were, on average, stockier and shorter than modern humans. Their brains were about 1,000 to 1,150 cc, smaller than the average modern human brain of 1,350 cc. The species is thought to have been right-handed, which distinguishes it from other apes, and archaeologists believe it may have used symbolic language.

The pattern of marks on the newly discovered neck bone suggests the young man was decapitated, the researchers say. Other adult bones found at the site show signs of flesh removal and intentional fractures similar to those found on the bones of animals eaten by humans.

"The surface preservation of the fossils is exceptional," Dr. Saladieh told Live Science. "Cut marks on the bones don't just happen. Human bite marks were found on the bones — that's the strongest evidence yet that the bodies found at the scene were actually eaten."

According to scientists, the new findings support the idea that these ancient people used their relatives as a food resource. It could also have been a means of territorial control, notes the Daily Mail.

The latest remains of Homo antecessor were found at "level TD6" of the excavation, at least 4 meters below the surface.

"Every year we find new evidence that forces us to rethink how they lived, how they died and how they treated their dead almost a million years ago," says Dr Saladieh.

Earlier evidence of cannibalism among ancient human relatives dates back 1.45 million years in Kenya. Some archaeologists suggest that before formal burials, people ate their dead as part of a funerary ritual.

"What we are now seeing is a continuity of this behaviour: the treatment of the dead was not exceptional, but repetitive," adds Dr Saladieh.

Previous studies of skulls found in Cheddar Gorge in Somerset have shown that ancient Britons were also cannibals and enjoyed drinking from cups shaped like the heads of their victims. The cups, which are 14,700 years old, were likely used to drink water or even blood, the Daily Mail notes. They may have been made from the heads of defeated enemies and used as trophies.

It is also possible that they were by-products of "crisis cannibalism" - eating human flesh when there was little or no other food available, according to a study published in Plos One.