Researchers from the Natural History Museum (NHM) have discovered proof indicating that people in Europe were involved in cannibalism as part of their burial rituals during the Magdalenian era.
The research, shared in a scientific journal called Quaternary Science Reviews, looked into ancient remains from different parts of Europe dating back to about fifteen thousand years ago. They noticed that the groups that practiced this kind of cannibalism shared common genetic traits.
Gough’s Cave, a well-known ancient site in Cheddar Gorge, is famous for finding three human skulls shaped like cups and more than a hundred human bones that show signs of being cut, broken, and even chewed by humans. Some of these remains are currently housed in a museum.
After carefully inspecting all archaeological evidence, researchers believe cannibalism was something many groups of people in northwestern Europe practiced during the Magdalenian period. It wasn’t just a one-time thing at Gough’s Cave, reported the Natural History Museum.
‘Part of a funerary behavior among Magdalenian groups’
Dr. Silvia Bello, a palaeoanthropologist and one of the main researchers at the NHM, who also co-authored the study, said that we understand from the archaeological evidence that cannibalism happened several times in northwest Europe within a short time frame.
This suggests it was a part of how Magdalenian groups honored their deceased rather than something they did only because they had to, explained Bello.
This is interesting because it’s the oldest evidence we have of cannibalism being a deliberate part of funeral rituals, she further explained.
Cannibalism was a common funeral ritual in Europe 15,000 years ago, study finds pic.twitter.com/A57mWCfK74
— Chanel Aveson (@MarcusJlaczyrh) October 5, 2023
But it’s important to note that not every Magdalenian site provides proof of cannibalism. At certain sites, people were intentionally buried, sometimes with offerings and even drawings on cave walls.
Of the fifty-nine known Magdalenian sites with human remains in Europe, thirteen had signs of cannibalism, ten had evidence of regular burials, and two showed both practices occurring, reported the Natural History Museum.
Traditional burial sites belonged to the Epigravettian human groups
As part of this research, the study’s genetic analysis reveals that all the human remains found in situations where cannibalism was practiced share a genetic connection with the Magdalenian (specifically, the GoyetQ2 group).
On the other hand, individuals discovered in traditional burial sites have genetic ties to the Epigravettian human groups (specifically, the Villabruna). The Epigravettian culture was a distinct culture in Europe during this period, alongside the Magdalenian.
During this time in Europe, both the Magdalenian and Epigravettian cultures coexisted, but they lived in different geographic regions. This study suggests a new theory. As cannibalism stopped, people began burying their dead conventionally, perhaps because individuals with ancestry linked to the Epigravettian culture moved northward.
This movement may have replaced those who had Magdalenian ancestry and practiced cannibalistic funeral rituals. Hence, it could be a case of one population replacing another rather than the exchange of cultural practices.