Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Stone Age skull-smashers spark a cultural mystery
New Scientist ^ | August 16, 2012 | Jessica Hamzelou

Posted on 08/17/2012 5:42:09 PM PDT by SunkenCiv

An unusual cluster of Stone Age skulls with smashed-in faces has been found carefully separated from the rest of their skeletons. They appear to have been dug up several years after being buried with their bodies, separated, then reburied.

Collections of detached skulls have been dug up at many Stone Age sites in Europe and the Near East -- but the face-smashing is a new twist that adds further mystery to how these societies related to their dead...

No one knows why Neolithic societies buried clusters of skulls -- often near or underneath settlements. Some think it was a sign of ancestral veneration. "When people started living together [during the Neolithic period], they needed a social cement," says Ibañez. Venerating ancestors might have been a way of doing this. But the violence demonstrated towards the skulls in the latest cluster suggests a different story.

The 10,000-year-old skulls were found in Syria. Like those found in other caches, they have been cleanly separated from their spines, suggesting they were collected from dead bodies that had already begun to decompose. Patterns on the bone indicate that some had been decomposing for longer than others, making it likely that they were all gathered together for a specific purpose.

Most of the skulls belonged to adult males between 18 and 30 years old. One -- belonging to a child -- was left intact; one was smashed to pieces; the remaining nine lacked facial bones... His team believes the facial bones were smashed out with a stone and brute force. "There were no traces of cutting," he says...

(Excerpt) Read more at newscientist.com ...


TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: godsgravesglyphs; syria
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-25 last
To: SunkenCiv
Most of the skulls belonged to adult males between 18 and 30 years old.

It was likely tribal warfare: after a surprise attack on a rival tribe, the raiders threw the heads of the killed defenders into the water well.

Modern leftist academics refuse to give any recognition the special evolutionary pressure that drove human evolution at high speed while leaving all other plants and animals untouched. That special pressure originates from the very same source that leftism does: envy.

21 posted on 08/18/2012 2:51:21 AM PDT by Reeses (An optimist believes the Republicans nominated their best. A pessimist knows they did.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

No mystery here. After the divorce, where he got skinned by the ex-wife, the in-laws got a face-bashing to show the contempt of the husband for their family.


22 posted on 08/18/2012 1:29:18 PM PDT by wildbill (You're just jealous because the Voices talk oMnly to me.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Reeses

It seems like one group attacked another group and then buried the ones they captured up to their necks in the dirt to keep as prisoners. Then they killed them one by one with a rock or maybe they were eaten by animals or both.

If the invading group decided to stay they would cut the heads off of the bodies and bury them separately and then kick dirt over the already buried bodies.

Look...I am an anthropologist!


23 posted on 08/18/2012 4:45:52 PM PDT by willyd
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: wildbill

That one makes the most sense. :’)


24 posted on 08/18/2012 5:54:38 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: Reeses

Wait — does this mean that an undocumented, incomprehensible ritual purpose can be ruled out?!? ;’)


25 posted on 08/18/2012 6:28:25 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-25 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson