Archaeologists have unearthed horrific evidence of ancient funeral rituals that took place in one region of Brazil. Apparently, during such rituals, the corpses were seriously injured, their muscles were cut out and their teeth were knocked out. Perhaps even cannibalism was practiced - that is, the corpses were sometimes eaten. In other words, it is better for the impressionable not to look and, perhaps, not to read even further.
Researchers have unearthed 9,500-year-old artifacts from Lapa do Santo Cave that provide the oldest evidence of complex human burial rituals in the region.
“These places do not have any monumental architecture or so-called burial implements, but some parts of the corpses were used in complex rituals,” says André Strauss of the University of Tübingen Eberhard and Karl.
Approximately 10,000-10,600 years ago, Lapa do Santo was used as a kind of cemetery. After some time, 9400-9600 years ago, more complex funeral rituals began to be performed here. Strauss and his colleagues call them "processing" or "cutting" of corpses.
Such techniques included mutilation, knocking out teeth, burning and possibly cannibalism, scientists say.
German scientists examined 26 human burials and were very surprised to realize how diverse and complex they are for this region of South America. It was believed that extremely simple communities of hunter-gatherers lived here, not too "enlightened" in matters of ritual burial.
“The burial included bones, which were probably shredded and carved. In addition, we found traces of fire on them. A skeleton was also found whose arms were clearly amputated. Moreover, some of the skulls had all of their teeth deliberately knocked out,”says Strauss of the frightening findings. In one case, the skull was even used as a burial vessel.
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The researchers also noted that some of the mutilated bones show other strange marks - as if they were gnawed. There is also evidence of soft tissue burning, which may indicate some form of ritual cannibalism.
Then some time later, about 8200-8600 years ago, significant changes took place. Scientists have discovered a burial pit with bones that once belonged to one person. And they showed no signs of mutilation.
“The results of the study suggest that a great deal of cultural diversity was already present in South America about ten thousand years ago,” adds Strauss.
“For the reconstruction of the life of ancient settlements, human burials provide a lot of information about ritual behavior. Burial data obtained in the course of this study show that the behavior of people who have inhabited these places for more than 10 thousand years was much more varied and complex than previously thought,”says Strauss.
A study of the chilling findings was published in the scientific journal Antiquity.