Recent research has unearthed chilling evidence of ritual sacrifices in Neolithic Europe, a practice that involved the gruesome method of “incaprettamento” – tying victims’ necks to their bent legs, leading to self-strangulation. This study, spearheaded by biological anthropologist Eric Crubézy of Paul Sabatier University and forensic pathologist Bertrand Ludes, has revealed more than a dozen instances of this sacrificial method across Europe, dating from 5400 to 3500 BC. The findings, published in the journal Science Advances, provide a macabre insight into ancient sacrificial practices tied to agricultural rituals.
The original discovery at Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux near Avignon, France, served as a catalyst for this broader investigation. Initially found over two decades ago, this tomb housed the remains of three women buried around 5500 BC, with two of them now believed to have been victims of sacrificial murder via incaprettamento.
The site, which mirrored a grain silo and was adorned with agricultural symbols, suggests a ritualistic sacrifice deeply rooted in agricultural practices. The alignment of a wooden structure above the tomb with the solstices and the presence of grain-grinding stones nearby further underscore the ritual’s ties to farming and the cycles of nature.
Hellbound and Down 