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Prehistoric Archaeology of the Aegean, Human Sacrifice
Dartmouth University ^ | 1995 | Various

Posted on 07/26/2005 1:07:44 PM PDT by Little Bill

Site of Western Extension to Stratigraphical Museum at Knossos

In a LM IB context in excavations just to one side of the Royal Road some distance northwest of the Little Palace at Knossos, 327 children's bones were found in a burnt deposit in the basement of a building christened the North House.

Originally attributed to between eight and eleven children provisionally aged between ten and fifteen years old, between 21% and 35% of these bones, which included skull fragments as well as other bones, all found in an unarticulated heap, exhibited "fine knife marks, exactly comparable to butchery marks on animal bones, resulting from the removal of meat.

Cannibalism seems clearly indicated. Among possible interpretations are ritual usage (otherwise unexampled in the open town of Knossos) and lack of all other food because of poisoning or other deleterious effect of gases or fall out from intense activity of the volcano of Thera."

Subsequent analysis has revealed that the bones in fact need belong to no more than four individuals, two of whom can be quite precisely aged by means of their teeth to eight and twelve years. Some phalanges (finger or toe bones) from young humans, a human vertebra with a knife cut, some marine shells, some shells of edible snails, and burnt earth were found filling a pithos in the "Cult Room Basement", a room across a corridor from the "Room of the Children's Bones" in which the cache of 327 children's bones were found

The context within the pithos suggests that some portions of young children were cooked together with a variety of other edible substances. No spices indicated.

Together with the major concentration of children's bones were also found some sheep bones including articulated vertebrae. One of the latter had a cut mark in a position indicating that the beast's throat had been slit, so that sheep sacrifice may have been connected with the death and dismemberment of the children, whom forensic experts have established to have been in perfect health at the time of their deaths.

There is unfortunately no method by which these skeletons can be accurately sexed, so we remain ignorant as to whether they belonged to boys, girls, or both.

Could there be some connection between these butchered children, the youths and maidens who jump bulls in Minoan representational art, and the tribute of Athenian boys and girls paid to the legendary king Minos to which Theseus, the heroic Athenian prince, put a stop with the loving help of Minos' daughter Ariadne by killing the monstrous Minotaur?


TOPICS: Science
KEYWORDS: archaeology; blam; crete; dartmouth; dinner; ggg; godsgravesglyphs; greece; history; minoans; unwashedminions
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Cooked Kid, the wonderfull, peaceful, nonviolent Minoians. The art, the wonderful art.
1 posted on 07/26/2005 1:07:45 PM PDT by Little Bill
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To: Little Bill; blam; SunkenCiv

Ping


2 posted on 07/26/2005 1:08:33 PM PDT by Little Bill (A 37%'r, a Red Spot on a Blue State, rats are evil.)
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To: Little Bill
In a LM IB context

What does that mean in English?

3 posted on 07/26/2005 1:09:28 PM PDT by Izzy Dunne (Hello, I'm a TAGLINE virus. Please help me spread by copying me into YOUR tag line.)
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To: Little Bill

Order of Bull and side orders of Child, hmn!


4 posted on 07/26/2005 1:12:16 PM PDT by lilylangtree
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To: Little Bill

ping


5 posted on 07/26/2005 1:14:19 PM PDT by satchmodog9 (Murder and weather are our only news)
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To: Little Bill
Unfortunately for the Minoans they can't be classified as pre-columbian native-americans

If that were the case then any mention of cannibalism would be deemed unacceptable and racist, no matter how much scientific evidence there was to make the claim. It wouldn't even be discussed.
6 posted on 07/26/2005 1:14:43 PM PDT by Gator101
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To: Izzy Dunne

Late Minoian Level 1b, a way to date a site based on a similarity to sites at a similar level, time thing.


7 posted on 07/26/2005 1:15:35 PM PDT by Little Bill (A 37%'r, a Red Spot on a Blue State, rats are evil.)
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Comment #8 Removed by Moderator

To: Gator101

Did you see the National Geographic dig at the base of the main Temple of Mexico City a while back, fresh meat coming down the steps, buttocks, legs, and the meaty parts of the arms cut off, add chilli's, tomatoes and mix, read Gibbon for Aztec stew.


9 posted on 07/26/2005 1:26:10 PM PDT by Little Bill (A 37%'r, a Red Spot on a Blue State, rats are evil.)
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To: Gator101

Yup. They were "white folk".


10 posted on 07/26/2005 1:27:50 PM PDT by muawiyah (/ hey coach do I gotta' put in that "/sarcasm " thing again?)
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To: muawiyah

Absolutely, Gimbas and the rest of the PC femonazis who adored the peaceful nonviolent Med, before the coming of the Indo-European patriarchal oppressors, who destroyed the Matriarchy and subjected womyn to slavery.


11 posted on 07/26/2005 1:38:09 PM PDT by Little Bill (A 37%'r, a Red Spot on a Blue State, rats are evil.)
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To: Little Bill
I didn't see that one. I did see one on the Chaco Canyon region in New Mexico, I think it was on Nova.

Anyways, this archaeologist type fellow had found some pretty significant evidence that pointed to cannibalism, garbage pits with human bones, tool/knife marks on the bones and such. Well the local Native-Americans were like; "Nope, never happened" and didn't even want to look at the evidence. It seems that they were convinced that since there wasn't any mention of cannibalism in their oral history, it must never have happened. Of course, that's the nice thing about relying only on an oral history...you only have to pass along the parts you like.
12 posted on 07/26/2005 1:57:01 PM PDT by Gator101
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To: Gator101

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/760183/posts


Try this for peaceful Native Americans


13 posted on 07/26/2005 2:06:48 PM PDT by Little Bill (A 37%'r, a Red Spot on a Blue State, rats are evil.)
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To: Little Bill

Wow! I hadn't heard of that find. Thank for the tip.

Of course, it can't be true. Before Christopher Columbus showed up there was no violence in the Americas. It was a perfect utopia with "flowery meadows and rainbow skies, and rivers made of chocolate, where the children danced and laughed and played with gumdrop smiles". ;o


14 posted on 07/26/2005 2:17:17 PM PDT by Gator101
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To: Gator101

http://www.huacas.com/page140.htm

Another Native American Civilization living at Peace with Nature.


15 posted on 07/26/2005 2:25:19 PM PDT by Little Bill (A 37%'r, a Red Spot on a Blue State, rats are evil.)
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To: Gator101
"Well the local Native-Americans were like; "Nope, never happened" and didn't even want to look at the evidence."

That was Christy Turner. He shut them up when he found a mummified corpolite (turd) that contained human bone and protein.

16 posted on 07/26/2005 3:10:13 PM PDT by blam
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To: Little Bill; blam; FairOpinion; Ernest_at_the_Beach; StayAt HomeMother; 24Karet; 3AngelaD; asp1; ...
Thanks Little Bill. I'm quite fond of that Dartmouth set of pages. A "Pass the Lady Fingers" ping.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. Thanks.
Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on, off, or alter the "Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list --
Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
The GGG Digest
-- Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)

17 posted on 07/26/2005 11:21:16 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Down with Dhimmicrats! I last updated by FR profile on Tuesday, May 10, 2005.)
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To: Little Bill

most interesting.


18 posted on 07/27/2005 2:04:19 AM PDT by Ciexyz (Let us always remember, the Lord is in control.)
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To: blam

I recently heard the first logical explanation of why the Anasazi moved into cliff dwellings after centuries living in much more convenient housing on mesa tops.

If some of the neighbors had recently converted to a human sacrifice and cannibalism cult from the South, I think I might want to live someplace inaccessible, too.


19 posted on 07/27/2005 5:04:51 AM PDT by Restorer (Liberalism: the auto-immune disease of societies.)
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To: Little Bill

I once did a paper on human sacrifice in the Mediterranean civlizations. It was not really uncommon and indications are found throughout the art and literature of ancient times.

Remember that when Abraham was ordered to sacrifice his son, he didn't respond with, "Are you crazy or am I?"


20 posted on 07/27/2005 6:42:05 AM PDT by wildbill
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