Neanderthals Mutilated the Bodies of Their Dead by Breaking and Fracturing Bones

Neanderthals apparently had burial rituals that involved mutilating the bodies of the dead. Scientists have discovered that these ancient hominins cut, beat and fractured the bones of their recently deceased companions.

The researchers focused on the Marillac site in France. There, they've found fossil remains of animals and humans, and have also found Mousterian tools, which indicates that it was a hunting area for Neanderthals. The most surprising find of this site, though, is the large quantity of bone remains of Neanderthals.

What was more interesting is that compared to the remains of other Neanderthals and modern humans, the scientists confirm not only the strength and rounded form of Neanderthal bones, but they also identify that on three bones there were manipulations made shortly after death.

"The upper edge exhibits marks of a 'post-mortem' impact with conchoidal markings (those that do not follow natural separation positions)," write the researchers, in a news release.

So what does this mean? It appears as if bones were broken and fractured after the person died. The researchers found the body of a child that had a right leg that received a series of blows that fractured the femur. In addition, the bones of two adults show similar markings.

Why did these markings occur, though? It could have been rituals, or even cannibalism.

"To date we have been able to demonstrate these manipulations at several Neanderthal sites in Europe, which are of course much more recent, including in groups of contemporary humans, but we have not been able to demonstrate the consumption of human meat by Neanderthals (although this has indeed been done in other much more modern populations," said Maria Dolores Garralda, one of the researchers.

The findings are published in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology.

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