Three caves in Granada reveal that cannibalism was a recurrent practice during the Neolithic in the south of the Iberian Peninsula. The analysis of nearly 1,000 human remains found at Malalmuerzo, Carigüela and Majólicas has made it possible to date these assemblages for the first time and determine that acts of cannibalism took place in different periods and social contexts.
One of the most striking cases is Malalmuerzo, where researchers suggest that the cave may have been the scene of an episode of collective violence followed by acts of cannibalism around 5000 BC.
More than half a century after these sites became key references for the study of prehistoric cannibalism, an international team has re-examined the remains using radiocarbon dating and new taphonomic analysis techniques.
The results indicate that Neolithic cannibalism in the Iberian Peninsula was not an isolated phenomenon, but a practice that recurred at different times and under varying social circumstances, in line with evidence documented in other regions of Europe.
The research, published in the 'Journal of Archaeological Science', involved universities and research centres in Spain, Austria, Brazil and Argentina.
