Researchers have discovered evidence that prehistoric farmers and herders in southern Spain may have used human skeletal remains to create tools and possibly extract bone marrow for consumption. The findings come from the exploration of a large cave called Cueva de los Marmoles in Granada, where human remains have been found since 1934.
Within the cave, various artifacts have been unearthed, including a skull that had been carved into a cup, a tibia that had been crafted into a tool, and numerous bone fragments. New evidence suggests that some of these remains were intentionally broken and scraped up to a year after death, indicating that the bones were manipulated in the cave’s cool and humid environment.
The research team, led by Marco Milella from the University of Bern in Switzerland, collected and examined 411 bone fragments and 57 teeth from the cave. They found that the remains belonged to at least a dozen individuals from prehistoric agricultural societies. The cave was used as a burial site during three distinct periods between 3900 to 3750 BC, 2600 to 2300 BC, and 1400 to 1200 BC.
Interestingly, nearly a third of the bone fragments showed signs of intentional cutting or breaking with human tools. However, there was no evidence of forceful separation from muscles or tendons, suggesting that the bones were already partially decomposed when manipulated. Notable specimens included a skull that had been scraped and fashioned into a bowl or cup, and a shinbone that had been broken, polished, and rounded into a spatula. Some long bones also showed signs of being fractured and scraped out, indicating possible extraction of bone marrow.
The researchers believe these actions were not performed shortly after death but several months later. They ruled out violence as the cause of these manipulations and plan to conduct DNA research to determine the relationships among the individuals buried in the cave.
