Archaeologists Find Cannibal Bones in Somerset Caves

14,700 years ago, in a cave in Somerset England, our ancestors were eating people.

Research suggests that these Ice Age Britons weren't eating human flesh out of necessity but as part of a ritual. But how certain can we be? And could we really be looking at an ancient crime scene?

Join Tristan Hughes host of The Ancients and the team at the Natural History Museum, London in this new film as they reveal the incredible story of the discovery of the Gough's Cave Cannibals.

Now on display at the Natural History Museum in London, a team of experts including Dr Selina Brace and William Marsh are leading a project to help finally discover just who these people were and perhaps more chillingly, who they were eating.

Huge thanks to the Natural History Museum London as well as the Longleat Estate, Cheddar Gorge & Caves for providing access to these unique artefacts.

Why not go and see these artefacts for yourself? More information about the exhibition can be found here: https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/the-ca...

00:00 Intro
01:04 Skull cups
03:58 Ice Age bones
05:20 The Discovery
07:00 Radius - Rarest engraving
09:31 Leg bone - Human toothmarks
10:34 Mandible - Fine cut marks
11:23 Why cannibalism?
12:48 Magdalenian culture
13:35 Past research
14:25 Current research
16:32 Ancient DNA Research
18:40 Warfare cannibalism?
19:40 DNA Processing
20:25 Familial relationships of bones
21:08 Age and sex of bones



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