Archaeology & History

Archaic human species ate its own young, new discovery finds

By T.K. Randall
July 26, 2025 ·  2 comments

Image: AI-generated (Midjourney) The remarkable discovery, which was made by archaeologists working at the Gran Dolina cave site in Atapuerca, northern Spain, shows evidence of a human species eating its own kind.

The bones belonged to a child aged between two and four and show clear cut marks made by a sharp instrument - marks that closely resemble those found on the remains of animals butchered for food.

This suggests that the species - Homo antecessor - not only practiced cannibalism, but did so on its own young.

"This case is particularly notable, not only due to the age of the child, but also due to the precision of the cut marks," said excavation co-director Dr. Palmira Saladie.Although this isn't the first time that evidence of archaic human cannibalism has been found, the discovery shows that this behavior wasn't just an isolated incident and likely continued for some time.

"What we are documenting now is the continuity of that behavior: the treatment of the dead was not exceptional, but repeated," Dr. Saladie added.

The researchers believe that cannibalism may have been used for more than just sustenance - it may have also served as a way to assert territorial control.

No doubt more clues will present themselves as the team delves deeper into the excavation site.

Source: Archaeology Magazine | Comments (2)

Tags: Human, Ancestor