Evidence of prehistoric 'brain-eating cannibals' found in Polish cave
ew,tm/pk
07.02.2025, 15:06 | Update 14:05
Scientists say humans may have been eaten as a form of intimidation. Photo: The Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution (IPHES) via Facebook
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Researchers investigating a cave in Poland have found chilling evidence of brain-eating cannibals from 18,000 years ago.
The international team were exploring the Maszycka Cave near the southern city of Krakow when they uncovered a trove of skeletal remains with clear signs of butchering.
Analysis of the bones also revealed that the victims had not only been eaten but their brains and bone marrow had been specially removed.
Notably, skulls displayed deep cuts associated with the removal of scalp and facial tissue.
Lead researcher Francesc Marginedas, from the Catalan Institute for Human Palaeoecology and Social Evolution, said: “All these modifications are linked to the breakage of the skull for the removal of the brain.
“The distribution of marks on the bones provides strong evidence that the bodies were processed for food, not merely treated for funerary purposes.”
She added that long bones, such as the femur, exhibited break marks indicative of marrow extraction, a known practice used for obtaining fat and energy.
The discovery places Maszycka Cave among five known sites across Europe that demonstrate clear evidence of cannibalism in prehistoric humans between 23,000 and 14,000 years ago.
But unlike Gough’s Cave in the United Kingdom, where cut marks suggest a ritualistic treatment of remains, the evidence from Maszycka Cave indicates a lack of ceremonial burial practices.
A study published in Nature magazine suggests that tensions between groups may have fueled the grisly practice.
Towards the end of the last Ice Age, population growth led to intensified competition for resources and land.
According to the researchers, these environmental pressures may have culminated in violent conflicts, with cannibalism serving as an act of retribution or intimidation.
Dr. Palmira Saladié, a co-author of the study, said: “This phenomenon has occurred throughout human history for various reasons, including survival, rituals and extreme violence.
“In the case of Maszycka Cave, the evidence supports the theory of war cannibalism, eating enemies as a form of aggression or dominance.”
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