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A ritual murder shaped the Early and Middle Neolithic across Central and Southern Europe.

ABSTRACT: In the Rhône Valley's Middle Neolithic gathering site of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux (France), the positioning of two females within a structure aligned with the solstices is atypical. Their placement (back and prone) under the overhang of a silo in front of a third in a central position suggests a ritualized form of homicidal ligature strangulation. The first occurrence dates back to the Mesolithic, and it is from the Early Neolithic of Central Europe that the practice expands, becoming a sacrificial rite associated with an agricultural context in the Middle Neolithic. Examining 20 cases from 14 sites spanning nearly two millennia from Eastern Europe to Catalonia reveals the evolution of this ritual murder practice.

SUBMITTER: Ludes B

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11006212 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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A ritual murder shaped the Early and Middle Neolithic across Central and Southern Europe.

Ludes Bertrand B Alcouffe Ameline A Tupikova Irina I Gérard Patrice P Tchérémissinoff Yaramila Y Ribéron Alexandre A Guilaine Jean J Beeching Alain A Crubézy Eric E

Science advances 20240410 15

In the Rhône Valley's Middle Neolithic gathering site of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux (France), the positioning of two females within a structure aligned with the solstices is atypical. Their placement (back and prone) under the overhang of a silo in front of a third in a central position suggests a ritualized form of homicidal ligature strangulation. The first occurrence dates back to the Mesolithic, and it is from the Early Neolithic of Central Europe that the practice expands, becoming a sacrifi ...[more]

PMID: 38598622

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