Reconstruction of a Neanderthal man by John Gurche.
Photograph by Tim Evanson
Scientists have discovered the remains of a group of Neanderthals in northern Spain who are believed to have been butchered and eaten by a neighbouring group of cannibals.
In research presented at the Royal Society in London, scientists describe the discovery of a cache of bones deep inside El Sidrón cave system in 1994. The bones were found to be 51,000 years old, and from a group of 12 people including three children, three teenagers, and six adults.
Researchers from the Institute of Evolutionary Biology found markings on the bones that show that they were split open to extract the marrow, and the skulls cracked open to remove the brains and tongue. No burn marks were found on the remains, however, which means that the bodies were likely eaten raw by other Neanderthals using tools from materials found within a few miles of the site.
Scientists proposed that the cannibalism was a last resort when food was scarce, with those that slaughtered this group just trying to survive the winter.
