Neanderthals were sometimes the meal at their own funerals, scientists report after examining bones found in a Belgian cave which date from between 40,500 and 45,500 years ago.
The remains show "unambiguous evidence" of cannibalism, including the marks of tools used to break them to access the marrow inside, as well as signs that the rib cages were cracked open to reach internal organs. Together, the bones form the skeletons of four adults and one child.
Though previous discoveries have suggested cannibalism in more southern European Neanderthal populations, evidence of Neanderthal burial practices has been considered an indication of their relative emotional and cultural sophistication. The researchers did not attempt to explain in their Scientific Reports article why this cannibalism occurred or whether it was universal among Neanderthal populations, though they did note that some of the bones appear to have been used as tools after they were stripped of flesh.
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