Digg



del.icio.us



Newsvine



Reddit



Facebook NEW YORK  Investigations of prehistoric burial sites in Europe indicate that the region's population may have practiced ritual human sacrifice, according to a new study. The large number of multiple-burial sites, some containing skeletons of dwarfs and deformed children with ornate burial offerings such as ivory beads, suggests that human sacrifice was a custom in Europe in the period between 28,000 and 10,000 years ago, said biologist Vincenzo Formicola of the University of Pisa. "These findings point to the possibility that human sacrifices were part of the ritual activity of these populations," Formicola wrote. Three multiple-burial graves in Russia, the Czech Republic and Italy are the focus of the study, published in the scholarly journal Current Anthropology. A grave in Russia reveals the skeletons of a boy and girl, thought to be between 9 and 13 years old, lying head to head alongside spears of mammoth tusk, hundreds of fox canines and thousands of ivory beads. The skeleton of the girl shows evidence of a congenital disease. Formicola believes that the beads may have been made specially for the children, because of their small size compared to beads found on an adult male at the same site. Rich burials traditionally suggest high status, Formicola wrote, and "it is hard to imagine this kind of motivation for two children." "The enormous amount of time required to prepare all those ivory objects and the possibility that ivory beads were made specifically for the two children by a few specialists would imply that those grave goods were ready when the two children died, which in turn leads one to wonder whether this ceremony was foreseen long in advance," Formicola wrote. Rupert Housley, a professor of archaeological science at the University of Glasgow, suggested in a telephone interview that there may be other explanations for the unique inhumation, or burial. The beads may have been family heirlooms, prepared years earlier for a person of high status and incorporated into the graves of the children. Housley, who is conducting a study in southern Russia on the connection between Neanderthals and modern humans, said that evidence of cannibalism has been found at sites 12,000 years ago in the same area, which could suggest a pattern. But he said multiple burials were common in the period Formicola is investigating, and many children died at a young age. "Diseases could explain children dying at the same time, and then being placed at the same burial site. So if one is going to invoke sacrifice on the rest of it, it's a possible explanation but there are also others," said Housley. "I would entertain the idea but it is only one of many possibilities." Another well-known site in the Czech Republic holds three skeletons of bodies aged 16 to 25, two males and one deformed individual whose sex has not been determined, according to Formicola. At a site in Italy, a female skeleton appears to be holding a dwarf, aged 17, whom Formicola suggests may have received a special burial because of his physical condition. "Elaborate burials, selected individuals, rich ornamentation, and site of inhumation continue to raise questions ... and stimulate reflections about social organization, conceptions of life and death, and the perception of diversity," Formicola wrote. Richard Klein, an anthropological science professor at Stanford University, called the findings interesting but lacking substance. "The sample is too small to draw that conclusion," Klein said. "I'm not against the idea, but there is no link between the burials and anything with human behavior. They're far apart and come from different cultures." Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Share this story: Digg del.icio.us Newsvine Reddit Facebook Enlarge By Bohuslav Klima, Current Anthropology via AP A triple burial site in Dolni Vestonice, in the Moravian region of Czech Republic, thought to be approximately 27,000 years old. Investigations of prehistoric burial sites in Europe show that the region's population may have practiced ritual human sacrifice. Conversation guidelines: USA TODAY welcomes your thoughts, stories and information related to this article. Please stay on topic and be respectful of others. Keep the conversation appropriate for interested readers across the map.