18,000-Year-Old Human Remains Found In A Polish Cave Prove Ice Age People Ate Their Enemies

Collage of Krakow landmarks in the evening with dramatic sunset.
velishchuk - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only

Around 18,000 years ago, prehistoric humans practiced cannibalism in a Polish cave. This group of people arrived at Maszycka Cave, located near modern-day Krakow in Poland, all those years ago from Western Europe.

They traveled from their dwellings in France and Spain, following the path of retreating glaciers, to settle other areas of the continent.

The cave was first excavated in the 19th century. Hundreds of bones from men, women, children, and antelopes were found.

An analysis later confirmed that they had all died around the same time and were buried in a single event. Some skulls were covered in cut marks, which sparked theories of cannibalism in Maszycka Cave. But until now, there was no way to prove human consumption of these remains.

But when archaeologists from the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution in Spain found butchered human bones misidentified as animal remains in the archives of the Archaeological Museum in Krakow, the cannibalism had a lot more ground.

Archaeologists performed advanced 3D imaging tests on 63 human bone samples dated to the Magdalenian period, with 68 percent of the samples exhibiting evidence of human manipulation.

They saw clear signs that certain bones had been intentionally destroyed in areas that were rich with nutrients, like muscles and the brain.

There were also tiny scratches where muscles were separated from bones and cut marks in an attempt to reach bone marrow and brain matter.

The researchers did not detect any indication that the human bones were processed to turn into tools or other useful objects, further pointing to cannibalism.

Collage of Krakow landmarks in the evening with dramatic sunset.
velishchuk – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only

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The discovery indicates that cannibalism was an “integral practice within the cultural systems of these Magdalenian groups.” The cannibalism may have been a result of hunger.

“The distribution of marks on the bones provides strong evidence that the bodies were processed for food, not merely treated for funerary purposes,” said Francesc Marginedas, one of the study authors.

Yet, antelope were plentiful in the region at the time, so they had enough to eat. Another possible reason for the human-on-human consumption was funerary cannibalism, in which family members consume a recently deceased relative to take in their wisdom and prevent them from experiencing the indignity of decomposition.

However, the fact that the remains were messily strewn among animal bones in the cave brings doubt to this idea. So, the most likely motive for the cannibalism was violence and dehumanization.

Warring groups fighting over land and resources may have conquered enemies and eaten their flesh as a way to humiliate, disrespect, and insult them even after death. The practice was known as warfare cannibalism or exocannibalism.

The presence of the Magdalenian people at the cave ended suddenly for unknown reasons. It is unclear why they abandoned the site.

The new study was published in Scientific Reports.

Emily  Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a ... More about Emily Chan

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