Human Sacrifice Evidence Discovered Across Stone Age Europe, According to Study

Archaeologists recently made a significant discovery during the Neolithic Age (or Stone Age) in France’s Rhone Valley. They found skeletons of women in a tomb, with their necks tied to their legs behind their backs, resembling a practice known as “incaprettamento.” This ritual, prevailing in Europe over 2,000 years ago, effectively led to the women strangling themselves. The tomb, designed like a silo or grain storage pit, contained the remains of three women buried approximately 5,500 years ago.

The startling finding indicated that the women were buried while still alive, as revealed by a team of researchers who analyzed the skeletons. Eric Crubrezy, a biological anthropologist at Paul Sabatier University in Toulouse, France, suggested that this form of ritual killing was linked to agriculture. His team examined numerous similar tombs dating back to 5400-3500 BC, concluding that incaprettamento likely began as a sacrificial custom in the Mesolithic period before being adapted for human sacrifices associated with agriculture during the Neolithic period. Moreover, University of York archaeologist Penny Bickle, an expert in burial practices, supported the concept, stating that it is highly probable that fertility rituals contributed to human sacrifice.

This discovery sheds light on ancient practices and provides insights into the intersection of rituals and agricultural activities during the Neolithic Age.