Deep inside caves in Goyet hamlet in Belgium, the researchers found gruesome evidence that Neanderthals ate not only horses and reindeer but also each other. They say a newborn, a child, and four adults or adolescents who lived about 40,000 years ago had significant cuts in human bones, and fractures that indicate bone marrow removal. "It is an indisputable fact that cannibalism is practiced here." Belgian archaeologist Christian Casseyas says, looking at the cave that stretches halfway down the valley in this area in the Ardennes forest. The bones in Goyet seem to be from the period when Neanderthals were approaching the end of their time on Earth before Homo Sapiens took their place. That is, Neanderthals were also mixed with Homo Sapiens.
Who Were the Neanderthals?
Research has shown that Neanderthals, who were once considered primitive cavemen who were extinct by more intelligent modern humans, were in fact advanced creatures who carefully preserved the bodies of their dead and held burial rites. But at the same time, the evidence that they ate their dead is growing. Cases of Neanderthal cannibalism have so far only been found in Spanish communities in southern Europe, particularly El Sidron and Zafarraya, and Moula-Guecy and Les Pradelles in France. Caves in Goyet have served as shelters since the stone age. The 250-meter-long galleries consist of corridors carved from limestone by the Samson stream, which still flows a few meters below.
How Was this Archeological Development Previously Handled?
Absence of carnivorous traces, low spatial disorder, fragmentation and segregation; shows that the bones are covered with a sheet. We cannot find any natural processes to explain the presence of the baby and associated elements in a sterile layer with a slope that does not coincide with the geological slope of the bedding layer. In this case, we suggest that the body belonging to the LF8 baby was placed in a pit dug in the sterile accumulation layer. On the other hand, this study was not the first to provide new evidence that Neanderthals buried their dead in recent times, and it does not seem to be the last. The French team says it is now time to apply the new and improved analysis standards to other skeletons from La Ferrassie 1 through 7, and this will provide an up-to-date assessment of how the skeletons were buried.
Bibliography
CNRS. "Neanderthals buried their dead: New evidence." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 9 December 2020. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201209140358.htm
Dockrill, Peter. “Child's Bones Buried 40,000 Years Ago Solve a Longstanding Neanderthal Mystery.” ScienceAlert, 10 Dec. 2020, www.sciencealert.com/ancient-neanderthal-mystery-solved-by-a-child-s-bones-from-40-000-years-ago
Geggel, Laura. “Rare Ancient Burial Contains Child Whose Arms and Legs Were Removed.” LiveScience, Purch, 5 Nov. 2020, www.livescience.com/ancient-child-burial-no-leg-arm-bones.html
“The Bones of a Child, Buried 40,000 Years Ago, Reveal the Ancient Secret of the Neanderthal.” Verietyinfo.com, 11 Dec. 2020, verietyinfo.com/the-bones-of-a-child-buried-40000-years-ago-reveal-the-ancient-secret-of-the-neanderthal/.
