一项针对比利时洞穴出土的人骨进行的新分析指出，尼安德特人以彼此为食(至少曾经有一度是这样的)。19世纪时，这些遗骨被人从从戈耶市附近发掘出来，现在均陈列于布鲁塞尔的博物馆当中。
过时的挖掘技术让人无从重建这些尼安德特人的生活，但是当研究人员对这些人骨进行检查的时候，却清晰准确地指出了他们死后所发生的事。这些尸骨中许多都布满了冲击造成的切痕和凹陷，暗示肉和骨髓被移除了。研究人员还在手指骨上下发现疑似咬痕的印记。
这些痕迹与在同一个遗迹发掘出的驯鹿和马骨上的痕迹一致，暗示三个物种均被预制并食用，研究人员在本周出版的《科学报告》上发表了他们的发现。
一些尼安德特人的尸骨还显示出额外的磨损，表明这些骨头后来被用于塑造石制工具。这些尸骨的骨龄在40,500和45,500年之间，智人在这一时期还尚未到达该地区，所以唯一可能的凶手就是尼安德特人自己。
尽管科学家们知道尼安德特人在克罗地亚也有过食用同类的经历，但这是他们在欧洲北部互食的第一个证据。研究人员还不知道的是，尼安德特人的这种食人行为是一种用于特殊场合的礼仪且具有特殊的意义，还是因为他们真是饿坏了。
European Neandertals were cannibals
原文摘要：
Neandertals ate each other—at least once in a while—according to a new analysis of bones unearthed in a Belgian cave. The remains were excavated near Goyet beginning in the 19th century and now sit in museums in Brussels. The outdated excavation techniques make it impossible to reconstruct how these Neandertals lived, but when researchers examined the bones, it was unmistakably clear what happened to them after they died. Many of the bones were covered in cut marks and dents caused by pounding, indicating that the meat and marrow had been removed. The researchers also spotted what appear to be bite marks running up and down finger bones. The marks were identical to those found on reindeer and horse bones also uncovered at the site, suggesting all three species were prepared and eaten, the researchers report this week in Scientific Reports. A few of the Neandertal bones also showed additional wear and tear, suggesting they were later used to shape stone tools. The bones are between 40,500 and 45,500 years old, which is before Homo sapiens arrived in the region, so the only possible culprits are the Neandertals themselves. Although scientists knew that Neandertals had practiced cannibalism in Croatia, this is the first evidence of it in northern Europe. No one yet knows if Neandertal cannibalism was a ritual practice, reserved for special occasions and imbued with special meaning, or if they were just really, really hungry.
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