Without flesh and with broken bones: a gruesome 6000-year-old ritual burial site found in Spain

Archaeologists from Spain have published the results of a study of the remains of ancient people found in two large stone tombs. These burials were made 6000 years ago, in the Neolithic era. Almost all the dead were stripped of their flesh immediately after death, and their bones were broken. Scientists believe that this was not a murder, but a sign of unique funeral rites.

This is reported by Live Science.

The bones of more than 20 men, women, and children were found in the tombs, as well as flint arrowheads, bone awls, stone tools, and fragments of ceramics. Analysis of the remains showed that most of them had broken bones and their skeletons had been dismembered. Scientists concluded that all this happened immediately after the death of these people.

The bones were broken in various places, including the hands. The scientists also found cuts on the bones, which indicate that the flesh was removed from the corpses using stone tools.

Scientists assume that this is a manifestation of a funeral rite. Perhaps those who buried ancient people in these tombs wanted the corpses to decompose faster. But it is still difficult to say why this was necessary. There is also a version that living people used some bones as funeral relics or even worshipped them.

There is also a version that scientists could have witnessed a manifestation of funeral cannibalism. In northwestern Europe, archaeologists have previously found evidence of eating the flesh of corpses among people who lived in the Upper Paleolithic era (35,000-10,000 years ago). This means that such behavior could have occurred during burial. The nature of the bone fractures confirms this version to some extent, but scientists are not fully convinced of the manifestation of cannibalism.

Read also: A 2200-year-old tomb filled with ancient artifacts was found in China (photos and videos)

According to the authors of the study, many of the artifacts in the tombs can help clarify the essence of the funeral rites of Neolithic people who lived in modern Spain thousands of years ago.

Since very few places of residence of Neolithic people in Spain have been discovered, archaeologists cannot say for sure how they lived and what they did. It is assumed that the locals could lead a semi-nomadic lifestyle, while at the same time they could grow crops and engage in animal husbandry.

The presence of unique funeral rites in the Neolithic period of Spain indicates that the culture of these people was multifaceted and developed. The scientists plan to study similar bones from other tombs in the region, which will allow them to better understand the diversity of Neolithic funeral rites.

As a reminder, the house of a Belgian family was decorated with carved stones from Pompeii for 50 years.

If you want to get the latest news about the war and events in Ukraine, subscribe to our Telegram channel!