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Bronze Age butchery and cannibalism unearthed in England

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Archeological discoveries can reveal the brighter sides of humanity. Collecting tchotchkes, our ancestors potentially comforting or sheltering one another in the face of a cataclysmic disaster, or building owl toys for children show how caring we can be as a species. However, other findings can reveal our darker side.
The article from Popular Science discusses a study published in the journal *Quaternary Science Reviews* that provides evidence of Bronze Age cannibalism in what is now northern Europe. Archaeologists unearthed human bones at three sites in England, with cut marks and signs of marrow extraction, suggesting that these individuals were not just buried but also consumed. The findings indicate that this practice was not merely a survival strategy during famines but might have had ritualistic or cultural significance. The bones, dating back to around 1,500 B.C., show patterns consistent with butchery techniques used on animals, implying that human flesh was treated similarly to animal meat. This evidence challenges previous assumptions about the nature of cannibalism in prehistoric societies, suggesting it could have been part of broader cultural practices rather than isolated incidents of desperation.

Read the Full Popular Science Article at:
[ https://www.popsci.com/science/bronze-age-cannibalism/ ]