Around 850,000 years ago, in a cave in northern Spain, early humans did something almost unimaginable by today’s standards—they consumed members of their own kind. Not just adults, but even children as young as two to four years old fell victim to this cannibalistic behavior.
This chilling fact came to light with the discovery of a small human neck bone (a cervical vertebra) at the Gran Dolina archaeological site in the Sierra de Atapuerca region.
The tiny vertebra carried horrifying evidence: sharp, precise cut marks at key anatomical points—strong indications that the child’s head had been deliberately severed.
Researchers describe this as direct evidence of child cannibalism, systematically carried out as part of meat exploitation by Homo antecessor, an extinct species of archaic human.
Child’s Bones Processed Like Prey
According to a team from IPHES-CERCA (the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution), which led the excavation, the vertebra is not only a sign of violence but also demonstrates a high level of butchering skill.
“This case is particularly striking, not only because of the child’s age, but also due to the precision of the cut marks,” said Dr. Palmira Saladié, a taphonomy expert and one of the lead excavators.
The marks appear at anatomically strategic points for separating the head from the body—far from random injuries.
“It is direct evidence that the child was processed like any other prey,” she added.
The vertebra was one of ten human skeletal remains unearthed in July this year from the TD6 archaeological layer, all belonging to Homo antecessor.
Some of the other bones also bore signs of skinning and deliberate breakage—patterns similar to how this species processed animal remains for consumption.
Systematic Cannibalism, Not a One-Off Incident
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time such evidence has been found. Around 30 years ago, in the same TD6 layer, archaeologists uncovered what is considered the earliest known case of cannibalism in the world.
This latest discovery strengthens the hypothesis that Homo antecessor may have consumed their own not just out of desperation or starvation, but possibly as a strategy to assert territorial control or eliminate rivals.
Living Among Other Predators
The soil layer where the child’s bones were discovered held another surprise: just above it, researchers found a hyena latrine—an ancient carnivore toilet. More than 1,300 fossilized droppings (coprolites) were recovered from the area.
This discovery helps archaeologists understand the shifts in cave occupation between early humans and wild animals, and sheds light on the interspecies competition that played out in a harsh and unforgiving ecosystem.
It reveals that Gran Dolina was not just a historical site, but also a battleground for space and survival among different predators—including humans.
Homo antecessor: More Than Just Primitive
Homo antecessor lived between 1.2 million and 800,000 years ago. Though more robust and with smaller brains than modern humans, they already demonstrated complex social behaviors—such as symbolic communication, right-handedness, and, as clearly shown, cannibalism.
Their facial features were more modern than those of other archaic humans, with recessed cheekbones and protruding noses. However, their treatment of the dead was far from what we consider humane today.
Gran Dolina: A Mystery Still Unfolding
What makes Gran Dolina even more significant is that the excavation is far from over. Researchers believe that the TD6 layer still holds many more human remains waiting to be uncovered.
Each year, new findings reshape our understanding of how early humans lived, how they died, and how they treated one another.
