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Cited by 188Pleistocene-Era Hominins and ArchaeologyForensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology StudiesArchaeological and Geological Studies

Lethal Interpersonal Violence in the Middle Pleistocene

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Sala, Nohemi, Arsuaga, Juan Luis, Pantoja-Pérez, Ana, Pablos, Adrián, Martínez, Ignacio, Quam, Rolf M., Gómez-Olivencia, Asier, Bermúdez de Castro, José María +1 more·2015·PLOS ONE
DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0126589PMC PMC4446311
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Abstract

Evidence of interpersonal violence has been documented previously in Pleistocene members of the genus Homo, but only very rarely has this been posited as the possible manner of death. Here we report the earliest evidence of lethal interpersonal violence in the hominin fossil record. Cranium 17 recovered from the Sima de los Huesos Middle Pleistocene site shows two clear perimortem depression fractures on the frontal bone, interpreted as being produced by two episodes of localized blunt force trauma. The type of injuries, their location, the strong similarity of the fractures in shape and size, and the different orientations and implied trajectories of the two fractures suggest they were produced with the same object in face-to-face interpersonal conflict. Given that either of the two traumatic events was likely lethal, the presence of multiple blows implies an intention to kill. This finding shows that the lethal interpersonal violence is an ancient human behavior and has important implications for the accumulation of bodies at the site, supporting an anthropic origin.

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  • In Sima de los Huesos, 500,000 years ago, a hominin was killed by repeated blows to the head with the same stone tool, indicating intention to kill.

    “In nearby Sima de los Huesos, 500,000 years ago, a hominin was killed by repeated blows to the head with the same stone tool. Each of these blows was severe enough to be fatal, and their repetition indicates an intention to kill.”

    From The Challenge of Evolution to Religion (2019) · cites this paper as Sala et al., 2015

    The Results (Differential Diagnosis; page unavailable) say two independent blows to Cranium 17 were strongly suggested to have come from the same object. The Discussion and Conclusions (page unavailable) say either blow was likely fatal and repeated blows might imply an intention to kill. But the Introduction dates the fossils to about 430,000 years ago, not 500,000, and the paper identifies a blunt tool without establishing that it was stone. (LLM, conf=0.90)

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Authors
Sala, N., Arsuaga, J. L., Pantoja-Pérez, A., Pablos, A., Martínez, I., Quam, R. M., Gómez-Olivencia, A., Bermúdez de Castro, J. M., & Carbonell, E.
Affiliations
  • Universidad Complutense de Madrid (ES)
  • Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (CN)
Corresponding author
Sala, Nohemi
ORCID
Venue
PLOS ONE
Publisher
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Published
2015-05-27
Volume
10
Issue
5
Pages
e0126589
ISSN
1932-6203 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1371/journal.pone.0126589
PMC
PMC4446311
OpenAlex
W2160900195
Cited by
188
References
0
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 31 · 2020: 17 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 66 · 2015: 6
FWCI
121.89
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • PLoS ONE (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Communities in ADDI (Universidad del Pais Vasco) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Communities in ADDI (University of the Basque Country) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
  • Hispana (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • The Open Repository - Binghamton (Binghamton University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Greater South Information System
Funders
  • State University of New York
  • Universidad de Burgos
  • Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (CGL2012‐ 38434‐C03‐01, CGL2012)
  • Junta de Castilla y León (BU005A09)
  • Binghamton University
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Anthropology › Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Archeology › Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Archeology › Archaeological and Geological Studies
Keywords
interpersonal violence, lethal violence, Middle Pleistocene, Homo, Sima de los Huesos, perimortem trauma, frontal bone fracture, blunt trauma, hominin fossil record, cranial injuries, Neanderthals
MeSH terms
Animals, Cause of Death, Fossils, Skull, Skull Fractures, Violence, Hominidae

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