Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
Archaeological research has unveiled unsettling evidence suggesting that ritualized human sacrifice was widespread across Europe during the Neolithic period, shedding light on a grim aspect of ancient societies.
Recent excavations in France's Rhone Valley have revealed disturbing details of women being subjected to ritualistic sacrifices, including burial alive, strangulation, and binding, as part of ancient ceremonies.
Archaeologists made these chilling discoveries while examining the skeletal remains of women found in a tomb near Avignon, southern France, dating back to approximately 4000-3500 BCE.
The skeletons exhibited harrowing evidence of the victims' necks being tied to their legs behind their backs, resulting in self-strangulation, indicating a gruesome ritual known as incaprettamento.
The positioning of the bodies, entwined with fragments of grindstones, suggests a deliberate and forceful placement within the burial context, hinting at the ritualistic nature of their demise.
Termed incaprettamento, this ritualistic brutality appears to have been a prevalent cultural phenomenon during the late Middle Neolithic, diversifying across Central Europe over nearly two millennia.
Senior author Eric Crubczy and his team, who conducted extensive research on similar tombs across Europe, suggest a connection between these sacrificial practices and agricultural rites.
The team's analysis uncovered evidence of sacrificial killings in 20 probable cases across 14 Neolithic sites, spanning from 5400 to 3500 BC, indicating the widespread prevalence of such practices during that era.
Additionally, ancient rock art discovered in the Addaura Cave in Sicily, dating back to the Mesolithic period, portrays figures bound in the incaprettamento manner, further highlighting the enduring legacy of these rituals.
These findings provide profound insights into the complex rituals and beliefs of ancient European societies, underscoring the darker aspects of human civilization during the Stone Age.