The harsh realities of the Ice Age โ scarce food, rising population and the limitations ofย hunter-gathererย life drove tribes to eat each other for sheer survival. However, as societies evolved, so did the motivations behind cannibalism.
But before you imagine a horror movie trope โย cannibalismย isnโt exactly taboo in the natural world.ย James Coleย from the University of Brighton was one of the first paleo archaeologists to provide evidence of cannibalism that goes beyond nutrition and calories and says “it’s actually pretty common. In fact, over 1500 different species, including primates eat each other.โ
Rodents may eat some of their young if they’re sick, dead, or too numerous to feed while chimpanzees sometimes cannibalize infants to get some extra protein.
To Cole, cannibalism reflects a shift from natural selection to cultural selection where simply surviving nature wasn’t enough โ survival now meant strengthening cultural cohesion within tight-knit groups, maintaining social control, and thwarting away attacks from rival tribes.
This form of cannibalism stemmed from a deep respect for the tribal totems, ancestral worship and aiding the deceasedโs transition to the afterlife by severing the physical connection.
Share this article
Theย Magdalenian cultureย in Europe, known for its elaborate artwork and famous Gough caves, makes a strong case for โcultural cannibalism.โ Zig-zag engravings on arm bones different from those from butchery tools and presence of human skull caps suggests Magdalenian culture used cannibalism to honor the dead and maintain a connection in the afterlife.
At times, eating loved ones also was closely intertwined with humanity’s deep-seated beliefs and fear about the supernatural. For others, eating human flesh symbolized good harvests, health and warding off bad omens and misfortune.
