Developments in Brief : British Dig Yields Hints of Cannibalism
Analysis of archeological findings from southern England have prompted London researchers to conclude that ancient Britons may have been cannibals.
“It’s the first time something like this has been found in Britain. The human remains have cut marks made by stone tools which may relate to cannibalism,” said Jill Cook, the British Museum’s top expert on the Stone Age.
The remains, dating from 10,000 to 11,000 BC, were found last week by archeologists from Lancaster University and the Natural History Museum excavating at Somerset.
“All we can say is that people are interfering with the corpses . . . that may have involved some kind of cannibalism,” said Cook.
“We will now try to find a pattern of cannibalism,” she added. “It’s quite a significant discovery.”
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