Cannibalism at El Mirador Cave: Characterization of the Processing of Human Bodies

Abstract

Human cannibalism is a behavior documented as far back as the Lower Paleolithic, but during the Neolithic the number of cases increased throughout prehistoric Europe. Taphonomic studies help identify bodies that were processed for consumption. However, the presence of symbolic or ritual components can be more ambiguous and difficult to identify. At El Mirador cave, a set of human remains has been recovered that exhibits evidence of butchery, cooking, and consumption. The assemblage includes six skull cups with a defined pattern of manipulation employed to obtain this previously studied bowl shape. The postcranial skeleton also presents evidence of butchery and consumption, and the modifications in the postcranial bones are related only to the extraction of tissues. The butchering processes served only to prepare the bodies for consumption. Neither the type of signs nor their distribution suggests a ritual treatment of the bodies. Our results show that the special treatment and possible ritualization documented on the heads is not identifiable in other body parts.