Neolithic teen prince was mauled by a bear

"A new study of the remains of a 15-year-old boy buried with luxurious grave goods in the Arena Candide Cave in Liguria, northwestern Italy, 27,000 years ago has found evidence that he was mauled to death by a bear. This is some of the first physical evidence of a violent interaction between prehistoric humans and megafauna, and the only one that is an articulated skeleton in a grave rather than a small bone fragment."

"The body of an adolescent male was placed supine on a bed of red ochre with a lump of yellow ochre below the jaw. The most ornate artifact found in the grave was the boy's headdress made of hundreds of perforated shells and several deer canines. His grave also contained ivory pendants, four antler batons perces (spear-throwers) and a large flint blade held in his right hand."

"Severe trauma to the skeleton was immediately evident to the archaeologists who unearthed it. The left scapula, left humerus, the left clavicle and left mandible had missing or damaged parts. The damage was so severe there was a hole between the neck, left shoulder and mandible. The yellow ochre lump placed there was likely connected to the wound, either to cover the disfiguring injury or as a ritual healing or restoration of wholeness."

Remains of a 15-year-old boy buried 27,000 years ago in Arena Candide Cave in Liguria were interred supine on red ochre with a lump of yellow ochre beneath the jaw. The grave contained an elaborate headdress of perforated shells and deer canines, ivory pendants, four antler batons perces (spear-throwers) and a large flint blade in the right hand. Severe trauma affected the left scapula, humerus, clavicle and mandible, producing a hole between the neck, left shoulder and mandible. The yellow ochre lump was likely connected to the wound, either to cover the injury or as ritual healing. The skeleton was previously reassembled with resins and glues that obscured fractures, and authorization was obtained from the museum to remove the bones for thorough analysis with modern technology.

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