A group of archaeologists, digging in western Germany, found near the village Hertshaym mass burial of the remains of people who died a violent death. Scientists estimate the age of the graves of about 7 thousand years.

In his article published in the academic journal Antiquity, the researchers argue that these ancient people were eaten by the tribes of cannibals, who lived then in Europe. Scientists believe that their discovery - the first evidence of cannibalism among people in the Late Neolithic.

According to an archaeologist from the French University of Bordeaux, Bruno Bolstina, the researchers came to this view, when reviewed their findings. These were broken bones, a skull with signs of severe blows, some fragments were traces of other external influences.

Total near Hertshayma archaeologists discovered the remains of more than 500 people. The researchers noted that the previously found fragments of skeletons belonged not only to adult men and women, and children. It had been excavated the remains of unborn babies.

"In some graves, we found the remains of people and animals, buried together, there are lots of partial remains," - said Bolstin. In the article scientists in Antiquity reported that in this region, human remains were first found as early as 1996, but the massive excavations here began only ten years later.

For a long time researchers have rejected the theory of cannibalism among the tribes living in Europe later mark in 10 thousand years before our era. It was assumed that just in this period was the flourishing of agriculture, in addition, people are actively involved in taming wild animals.

Recall that in October on the territory of the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, archaeologists found several graves of the Bronze Age period, ie about 4000 years ago. Human remains were located directly above each other, that is, the cemetery consisted of distinctive high-rise tombs.

In the graves the scientists found a copper hairpins, copper and amber jewelry, daggers, blades, and hundreds of dog's teeth punctured and thousands of tiny fragments of shells, which were used as ornaments or decoration for clothes.