An illustration showing the arrangement of the amputated hands on the skull, and the locations of V-shaped marks. (Drawing by Gil Tokyo)
A 9,000 year-old ritualized decapitation may be the oldest case found in the New World, according to researchers, leading to a re-evaluation of the origins and geographic dispersion of the practice.
The remains, a skull, two amputated hands, and several vertebrae, were found laid out in a way suggesting that they were likely part of a sophisticated mortuary ritual, not from trophy-taking warriors.
The remains were found in east-central Brazil in 2007, and dated to approximately 9,000 years ago. The amputated hands were laid over the face of the skull in opposite directions, and small V-shaped cut marks were found on the jaw and one of the vertebra.
Original research paper published in PLOS ONE on September 23, 2015.
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