Evidence from a cave in northern Spain indicates that Neolithic farmers cannibalized enemies after killing them in violent clashes more than 5,000 years ago.
The conclusion comes from a detailed analysis of human remains found in El Mirador Cave, which researchers say were processed and eaten in the days following a single deadly attack.
The team, led by Francesc Marginedas of the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution in Tarragona, examined over 600 bones and fragments from 11 skeletons, including adults, adolescents, and children.
The remains, dating to the Late Neolithic period between 6,500 and 5,000 years ago, were found in remarkably well-preserved condition.
Microscopy analysis revealed butchery marks on 69 bones and chop marks on others, suggesting skin and muscle were stripped from the bodies. Some bones were translucent with rounded edges, a sign they had been boiled.
Larger bones had been cracked open, most likely to extract the marrow. The researchers concluded that the practice occurred after death. Bodies were skinned, limbs removed, and flesh cooked and consumed, possibly over several days.
Ruling out survival cannibalism and ritual practices
Marginedas said the findings rule out the possibility of survival cannibalism during food shortages, noting there was no evidence of scarcity in the region at the time.
The team also dismissed the idea of funerary rituals, as no similar event has been recorded in the area. Instead, the bones are believed to have belonged to one family or extended kin group, killed in a single event by a rival community.
💀☠️A 5,700-year-old mystery from Atapuerca… solved in the lab.
Follow the video to see how we uncovered a rare case of Neolithic cannibalism.⬇️⬇️📽️ pic.twitter.com/AYTvodWIYl
— Antonio Rodríguez-Hidalgo (@WhiteRabbit36) August 9, 2025
The researchers wrote in their paper that the evidence points to cannibalism linked to intergroup violence in the late prehistoric period.
They compared the discovery with other Neolithic massacres documented in Spain, France, and Germany, where violence between communities was not uncommon.
Broader implications for understanding Neolithic life
El Mirador Cave has been a rich source of archaeological discoveries. Previous excavations uncovered ceremonial skull caps and signs of Bronze Age cannibalism.
This latest study adds to a growing body of evidence that challenges the image of the Neolithic as a peaceful era of farming and cooperation.
Instead, it suggests communities lived under the constant threat of conflict, with violence sometimes extending to the consumption of slain enemies.
The findings were published in the journal Scientific Reports, offering rare and direct evidence of human conflict and cannibalism during Europe’s Late Neolithic.
The researchers say the combination of bone modifications, boiling signs, and fracture patterns provides one of the clearest cases yet of organized violence ending in cannibalism during prehistory.
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