Between 45,000 and 41,000 years ago, cannibals are believed to have been active in the vicinity of what is today the Walloon capital Namur. The cannibals are thought to have targeted Neanderthal women and children. The findings are the result of new DNA research conducted by the Brussels-based Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences on remains previously found in the Goyet Caves. Cannibalism may have been a deliberate strategy aimed at demarcating territory at a time when Homo sapiens and Neanderthals were increasingly coming into conflict.
In the Goyet Caves, near Namur, bones of Neanderthals have been found since the 19th century.
Based on bone remains, researchers have known since 2016 that the inhabitants of this cave feasted on Neanderthals. It is the first known case of cannibalism among Neanderthals in Northern Europe.
'A third of the bones – mainly from the lower limbs – showed signs of cannibalism: cut marks, notches and/or round indentations,' says Patrick Semal, curator of the anthropological collections at the Institute of Natural Sciences.
The fact that the Neanderthal remains were processed in a similar way to the animal remains from the same cave suggests that the local inhabitants practised cannibalism to eat the meat.
DNA research has now revealed that the victims were four women, who did not share the same mother. Two boys were also among the victims. One of the children had just been born, while the other was between 6.5 and 12.5 years old. Even more striking is the fact that the victims did not come from the region itself but must have been brought there from elsewhere.
Marking territory
The remains are between 45,000 and 41,000 years old and date from a period when Neanderthals were finding life increasingly difficult and Homo sapiens were gaining influence.
There may have been a violent confrontation between the two groups. ‘We see similar behaviour in chimpanzees: it is intended to weaken a neighbouring group or defend territory,’ says Semal.
It is not clear who was responsible for cannibalism. It could have been Homo sapiens, but the researchers consider it more likely that it was rival Neanderthals. ‘Some of the bones were also used to sharpen stone tools, a practice we are familiar with mainly among Neanderthals,’ Semal adds.