Neolithic Cannibalism in Spain Spanned Centuries, Took Many Forms

Archaeologists Exploring Ancient Caves Found Grisly Remnants of a Stone Age Cannibal Mystery

Skulls had been turned into cups, some bones had been boiled, but the reason these stone age people were eating other humans remains unknown.

Multiphase human cannibalism in Neolithic southern Iberia: Chronological and taphonomic evidence from Malalmuerzo, Carigüela, and Majolicas Caves

Human cannibalism is a behaviour with diverse social and symbolic meanings. Although it has been the focus of much interest, it remains difficult to investigate. The southern Iberian Peninsula is a key region for research into this behaviour, as remains from several classic Neolithic sites, such as Malalmuerzo, Carigüela and Majolicas Caves (Granada, Spain), have long been cited as examples of cannibalism. However, the human remains recovered from these sites lack direct radiocarbon dates and standardized taphonomic studies. To clarify the nature, timing and variability of these practices, we combined standardized taphonomic and demographic analyses with AMS radiocarbon dating of selected individuals from all three assemblages.

Neolithic Cannibalism Took Three Different Forms in Spain

New radiocarbon dates from Malalmuerzo, Carigüela, and Majolicas caves in Granada reveal a massacre, a ritual practice, and an unresolved puzzle.

Cannibalism in Spain took different forms during the Neolithic, from violence to ritual | Archaeology News Online Magazine

New dating of 1,000 human bones from Spanish caves shows Neolithic cannibalism occurred at different times and for different reasons.