Mass cannibalism in the Linear Pottery Culture at Herxheim (Palatinate, Germany)

Abstract

The Early Neolithic central place at Herxheim is defined by a perimeter of elongated pits containing fragments of human bone, together with pottery imported from areas several hundred kilometres distant. This article offers a context for the centre, advancing strong evidence that the site was dedicated to ritual activities in which cannibalism played an important part.

“Widely travelled people” at Herxheim? Sr isotopes as indicators of mobility

“…This type of "pseudo-ditch" is called the "Rosheim type" (Jeunesse and Lefranc, 1999). Many of the overlapping pits of the Herxheim enclosure revealed spectacular concentrations of dissected human skeletons, the bones having been smashed into small frag- ments (Zeeb-Lanz et al, 2007;Boulestin et al, 2009;Zeeb-Lanz et al, 2009). The skulls of the dead had been subjected to a specific treatment that left only the skull caps intact.…”

Funerary practices or food delicatessen? Human remains with anthropic marks from the Western Mediterranean Mesolithic

“…Garrigou, 1870;Regnault, 1869), the identification of anthropophagous behaviours is mainly based on four points: the butchery process (cut marks, fractures and other related marks), the preparation of the meal (mainly through exposure to fire), the disposal of bones, and the degree of similarity that can be established between human and animal remains (e.g. Villa, 1992;Boulestin et al, 2009;Cáceres et al, 2007;Carbonell et al, 2010;Defleur et al, 1993;Fernández-Jalvo et al, 1999). Boulestin (1999) proposed the following ranking of diagnostic indicators: In the case of our study, the human remains recovered from the archaeological site of Santa Maira are mixed with animal remains.…”

“…A reinterpretation of the material from Fontbrégoua (Le Bras-Goude et al, 2010) and Scaloria (Robb et al, 2015) suggests that disarticulation and anthropic marks on human remains could possibly be the result of funerary practices rather than cannibalism. However, it seems that this is the point when social conflicts deriving from new socio-economic structures appear to lead to the recognition of this type of institutionalized cannibalism in other regions of Europe (Boulestin et al, 2009).…”

The massacre mass grave of Schöneck-Kilianstädten reveals new insights into collective violence in Early Neolithic Central Europe

“…Built mainly on several enigmatic sites with clear osteological evidence for lethal mass violence and generalized patterns of increased differentiation and fortification from many others (15,16), the disappearance of the LBK from the Neolithic landscape often has been portrayed as a result of strife and social unrest, culminating in a far-reaching apocalyptic nightmare of violence, warfare, and cannibalism (15)(16)(17)(18). Although such a scenario appears somewhat exaggerated, the proposed "crisis" at the end of the LBK has attracted much attention, speculation, and debate (15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23).…”

“…Although such a scenario appears somewhat exaggerated, the proposed "crisis" at the end of the LBK has attracted much attention, speculation, and debate (15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23). Foremost in this discussion is the evidence from the sites of Talheim, Germany, and Asparn/Schletz, Austria, of massacres of probably entire LBK communities (19,(24)(25)(26).…”