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Child Vertebra With Cut Marks Confirms Cannibalism by Homo antecessor at Atapuerca

The campaign received an 18.75% funding boost that sustained over 300 researchers uncovering ten new Homo antecessor fossils.

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El consejero de Cultura, Gonzalo Santonja, presenta los resultados de la campaña de excavaciones
Detalle de la vértebra cervical infantil de un niño o niña de entre 2 y 5 años con marcas de corte que evidencian prácticas de canibalismo por parte de sus congéneres.

Overview

  • A juvenile cervical vertebra of a 2–4-year-old discovered in Gran Dolina’s TD6 shows deliberate decapitation cut marks confirming systematic cannibalism by Homo antecessor.
  • Ten new Homo antecessor fossils—two teeth, four additional vertebrae, a finger bone, a rib fragment and three long-bone pieces—were recovered during the 2025 campaign.
  • Cut marks and percussion damage on both juvenile and adult bones indicate the extraction of marrow and disarticulation techniques consistent with butchery practices.
  • Level TD6’s human fossil collection now exceeds 200 specimens, underscoring Atapuerca’s significance for understanding early human behavior in Europe.
  • The 2025 excavations involved over 300 researchers on multiple Atapuerca sites and were supported by a regional funding increase of 18.75% to €190,000.