Scientists Find Evidence of 'History's First Murder'

Newser ^ | May 28, 2015 5:35 AM CDT | Rob Quinn

[Sopater]

An examination of ancient remains from a cave in Spain turned into an episode of CSI: Middle Pleistocene when scientists found evidence of what they say is the first known murder. The skull found in the "Pit of Bones" site belongs to a young adult who lived around 430,000 years ago and bears what researchers say are unmistakable signs of deadly violence, reports Forbes, which notes that the scientists have assembled enough evidence to convince a modern jury that the early human was likely killed by a right-handed attacker who hit the victim in the head twice with some kind of object—and it wouldn't take a prehistoric Columbo to deduce that the murder weapon was probably a rock.

This is the "earliest evidence of lethal interpersonal violence," the researchers write in the journal Plos One—and they note that the evidence of murder could explain why that body and 27 more were lying at the bottom of a cave shaft, apparently placed there by others. Given what's known of human behavior in the intervening 430,000 years, the scientists weren't too startled to find that the early humans they're studying were bashing each other over the heads with rocks. "Violence is a very usual behavior for animals," the lead researcher tells the Guardian. "It's not surprising that interpersonal violence took place." (Another ancient Spanish cave yielded the burial site of a "queen of the Stone Age.")

[Sopater]

...scientists weren't too startled to find that the early humans they're studying were bashing each other over the heads with rocks. "Violence is a very usual behavior for animals,"

You can't have it both ways. Animals don't commit 'murder" and humans are distinct from animals.

Interesting story, though.

[GoldenPup]

Scientists Find Evidence of 'History's First Murder'

Probably never heard of Cain and Able.

[nickcarraway]

Cain killed Abel?

[Carl Vehse]

Genesis 4:8 records the first murder.

[nickcarraway]

I wonder if he was properly Mirandized?

[Sopater]

True

[Sooth2222]

Seriously? They looked like that? In Spain?

[Sopater]

[ETL]

[DannyTN]

This just in. Scientists say a liberal tried to ban rocks 430,000 years ago.

[higgmeister]

How do they know it was not a sanctioned killing in a tribal war which means it was not a murder?

[ETL]

Ping

[ETL]

Lol!

"Dude, rocks are dangerous. They need to be banned!"

[editor-surveyor]

.
They found Abel’s remains?
.

[bert]

or, while climbing, a rock fell and crushed the skull

blunt force trauma by falling rock

[Sopater]

How do they know it was not a sanctioned killing in a tribal war which means it was not a murder?

Witnesses?

[GreenHornet]

the murder weapon was probably a rock.

"Take the cannoli...leave the rock."

[ExGeeEye]

It would have to be the second or so. The first murder happened in what is now northern Iraq in the second generation of humans.

[editor-surveyor]

.
>> “Cain killed Abel?” <<

.
Nah! he just bumped his knee against Abel’s head.

It was a assadent.

[ETL]

"And I suppose YOU think that's funny?