An international research team, including researchers from the Institute of Archaeology (IA) at the University of Rzeszów and the Rzeszów Archaeological Center Foundation, has obtained new information about the burial rituals of late Ice Age societies in Central Europe. Traces of manipulation on human remains in Maszycka Cave in the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland indicate systematic dismemberment of the deceased and cannibalism. The research results were published in the journal Scientific Reports.

 

Maszycka Cave is one of the most important Paleolithic sites in Poland and one of the most significant and spectacular late Paleolithic sites in Europe. Over 100 years ago, Gotfryd Ossowski discovered remarkable remains of hunter-gatherer settlements from about 18,000 years ago: alongside stone and bone tools and animal remains, human bones were also found. These findings are associated with the so-called Magdalenian complex, whose origins and main center are in France, lasting from 20,000 to 14,500 years ago, and possibly even longer on its eastern fringes. Excavations conducted in the 1960s yielded additional human remains.

 

The research covered a total of 63 bones from ten individuals, dated to 18,000 years ago. This is one of the most important collections of human remains from the late Ice Age, housed in the collections of the Archaeological Museum in Kraków.

 

Using modern methods, the team identified in 43 cases traces indicating that the bodies of the victims were dismembered shortly after their death. Cut marks on skull fragments indicate that muscle attachments and scalp were cut, and long bones were broken to access bone marrow. Lead author Francesc Marginedas from the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution (IPHES) explains: "The location and frequency of cut marks, as well as the deliberate breaking of bones, leave no doubt that the goal was to extract nutrients from the deceased."

 

But how did cannibalism occur?

 

The Magdalenian period is famous for its impressive artworks, such as the famous cave paintings in Lascaux. "Various artistic evidence indicates favorable living conditions during this period. Therefore, it seems unlikely that cannibalism was practiced out of necessity," says Prof. Thomas Terberger from the Institute of Prehistory and Early History at the University of Göttingen, a member of the research team. It is possible that this is brutal cannibalism. After the coldest period of the last Ice Age, there was a population increase, which could have led to conflicts over resources and territories. Cannibalism has been sporadically recorded in connection with violent conflicts. Moreover, in Maszycka Cave, human remains are mixed with communal waste, indicating that the deceased were not treated with respect.

However, another hypothesis cannot be ruled out, that this cannibalism is a manifestation of some burial practices, adds Dariusz Bobak from FROA and Marta Połtowicz-Bobak from IA UR. A definitive interpretation is hindered not only by the fact that we are dealing with ritual behaviors but also by the lack of precise documentation from the 19th-century exploration of the site, which would allow for detailed spatial analysis.

 

We thank the Directorate of the Archaeological Museum in Kraków and the Paleolithic Department staff for providing materials for research and all their kind assistance.