Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Ancient Europeans ate the children of their enemies

Archaeologists excavating the caves of Atapuerca in nothern Spain has found that the ancient europeans living there wre practising cannibals, AFP reports. The remains found ate the site are examples of Homo antecessor who lived there as long as 800, 000 years ago and so were probably among the first humans, before the Neanderthals and before the Sapiens, to arrive in Europe.

The Antecessors chose a good spot to settle too, with a comfortable climate, nearby rivers for water and a forest full of deer, horses and wild boars for food. The archaeologists also found two layers of cannibalised remains, suggesting that the cannibalism wasn't a one-time-only, desperate act of survival. Furthermore the AFP says:

A study of the remains revaled that they turned to cannibalism to feed themselves and not as part of a ritual, that they ate their rivals after killing them, mostly children and adolecents. 

"Sweet taste of victory", indeed. 


No comments:

Post a Comment