Archaeologists have found the skull of an ancient murder victim – Mail.Ru

Anthropologists have investigated only one skull from a mass grave in the so-called Pit of Bones, which contains the remains of at least 28 people.

The results of this study are published in the anthropological journal PLOS One.

Scientists We came to the conclusion that the two break in the skull were likely caused by multiple blows with a plan to murder.

Scientists believe that this discovery gives every reason to believe that violence was an integral part of the life of prehistoric man.

In the study of the skull of the international team of scientists used modern methods of computer tomography.

This is a scan showed that the two clearly visible cracks in the frontal part of the skull is essentially identical, which means that they were one caused by a weapon.

The team leader Dr. Noemi Sala from Madrid Salud Carlos III Institute said that these injuries clearly indicate death at the hands of another representative of the same population.

«We were able to look at the often unseen aspect of social life of our ancestors, “- she said.

« People have not changed much »

Cave Sima de los Uesos has long been known anthropologists. Excavations there being more than 30 years.

In 2013, the first time scientists were able to obtain DNA from fossil bone remains found in the cave. They made some experts suggest that the cave was inhabited in the early period of members of the species Neanderthal.

This place is the subject of lively debate among anthropologists who seek to understand increasingly complex picture of human evolution.

Although this study does not provide new materials for this discussion, it showed that a long vertical shaft of the cave was a place where its ancient inhabitants deliberately dumped the remains of their dead.

The scientists concluded that this method dumping can be considered the earliest recorded in the fossil deposits of Paleolithic culture of early hominids.

«Deliberate violence in interpersonal relationships is a behavior that is inherent in man, who lived for at least 430,000 years ago – says Dr. Sala. – However, in the same period and includes such behaviors as nursing and even ritual burial ».

« In this regard, we have not changed much over the past half a million years, “- says the anthropologist.

Professor Debra Martin, an anthropologist at the University of Nevada, which studies the culture of early hominids, said that the discovery of signs of violent killing is beyond question.

«I suspect that the further we go into the past and find there is unequivocal evidence of violence between members of the prehistoric human populations, the more obvious it becomes the conclusion that the development of culture was accompanied from the very beginning the spread of violence, “- says American anthropologist.