Neanderthals cut and broke bones in their dead

Neanderthals manipulated bodies of adults and children shortly after death - cutting, beating and fracturing the bones of their recently deceased companions, scientists say.
These manipulations, unveiled by the fossil remains of two adults and a child found at the Marillac site in France, have been observed at other Neanderthal sites, but it is not known whether they did this for food or ceremony.
Since the site was unearthed, the discovery of fossil remains of animals (90 per cent belonging to reindeer), humans and Mousterian tools has enabled the site to be identified as a hunting area for Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis).

Now, a study published in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology has for the first time analysed the fragments of three individuals found between 1967 and 1980 at the French site dating back some 57,600 years.
These are an incomplete diaphysis (middle part of long bones) of a right radius, another of a left fibula and the majority of a right femur. The latter belonged to a child.
"Some Neanderthal groups cut and tore apart child or adult corpses shortly after death using lytic instruments," said Maria Dolores Garralda, professor at the Complutense University of Madrid and main author of the study.

The femur fragment, which appears to be from a child who died at the age of 9 or 10, shows two large cut marks half a centimetre apart.

From its state of preservation, the researchers suggest that the bone was fractured when still fresh with the aim of separating the upper and lower extreme of the femur, where the joints are located.
"The upper edge exhibits marks of a "post-mortem" impact with conchoidal markings (those that does not follow natural separation positions)," the study found.
The lower region possesses a clear, oblique spiral break which seems to have occurred while the bone was fresh.

"Given the morphology of the fractures, it may be that the body of this child was manipulated shortly after death. The right leg received a series of blows that fractured the femur, and the cut marks identified are anthropic in nature; in other words, there is no visible evidence of animal bites," Garralda noted.
The bones of the two adults show these and other markings. The fragment of the radius, possibly belonging to a man, also has small, fine cut marks made with flint tools shortly after death.
"The most significant are three striations together crossing over each other while the bone was still fresh," researchers said.

As for the fibula, although the fresh fractures of both extremes can be seen, there are also signs of percussion at the lower end.
But "there is no evidence of cuts or traces of carnivores' teeth," researchers said.