Cannibals: History, Causes and where to find them
We know very well that cannibalism is the act or practice of feeding on members of one's own species, that is, it does not only apply to animals, but we also see them in human behavior. Cannibalism can occur among members of many species, although it is commonly associated with anthropophagy: that is, eating human flesh. Cannibals, therefore, are human beings who eat human beings.
What causes cannibalism?
According to anthropology, cannibalism is divided into two types: learned cannibalism, called customary cannibalism, and survival cannibalism, an innate mechanism to which the human being resorts to a need, as is the case of the Uruguayan rugby group. who was lost in the Andes when his plane crashed. The survivors who stayed there for seventy days, decided to eat the companions who had died in the accident to survive.
In scientific terms, it occurs when kuru produces changes in the nervous system and brain similar to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Similar diseases appear in cows such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also called mad cow disease.
In psychology, cannibalism is described as the result of uncontrolled oral aggressive impulses, an antisocial act caused by the desire for dominance. The existence of ritual cannibalism as an offering to the gods or as a way of obtaining the strength and courage of the enemy warrior seems proven.
It may happen that a schizophrenic commits an act of anthropophagy or cannibalism because within his delusions or hallucinations he feels the desire to eat human flesh. "His cannibalistic behavior is a secondary activity and derived from a mental illness problem," said Dr. Salín Pascal.
Human beings are not nutritious at all
"When we compare ourselves to other animals, we are not nutritious at all," says study author James Cole of the University of Brighton.
According to their estimates, wild boar and beaver contained approximately 4,000 calories per kilo of meat, compared to a measly 1,400 calories per kilo for a modern human. That's about as much as we could hope for in terms of our overall size and muscle mass compared to other animals, he says.
Instead, Cole argues that perhaps not all ancient cannibalism was aimed at filling one's belly. It could also have served other social functions of early humans and their ancestors.
cannibal roots
Archaeologists have found evidence of cannibalism in the human family tree going back at least 800,000 years. Although the cut and tooth marks on the bones may not reveal their motivations, the ancient remains do offer some evidence of the extent of cannibalistic practices throughout human evolution.
In the Gran Dolina cave in Spain, for example, the butchered remains of bison, sheep and deer were mixed with those of at least 11 humans, all children or adolescents, whose bones showed signs of cannibalism. In addition to marks showing that the meat had been peeled off the bone, evidence suggests that residents of the Gran Dolina—a distant relative of humans called Homo antecessor—ate the brains of their victims.
The dismembered human fragments are found in layers in the cave, spanning approximately 100,000 years, suggesting that this practice occurred on a regular basis.
The remains were also mixed with those of other animals and had been disposed of in the same way, leading some anthropologists to suggest that the cannibalism at this site may not have been due to a food emergency or ritual behaviour.
Perhaps human flesh was a common food supplement in their diet, or perhaps the youngsters were foreigners and the cannibalism served as an effective "keep out" signal (although the bones can't confirm this for us).
This occurred in most cases of prehistoric cannibalism, according to Silvia Bello of the Natural History Museum in London.
"I agree with [Cole] that Paleolithic cannibalism was probably and most often practiced out of 'choice' rather than mere 'necessity,'" he explains. "However, I think finding the motivation for that choice is going to be a difficult thing."
Perhaps the real message is that ancient people had a broader mix of motivations for cannibalism than we give them credit for. After all, human cannibalism in recent centuries has many origins, including war, survival, spiritual beliefs, and psychosis.
"These ancient people most likely survived because they were incredibly opportunistic and sometimes cannibalistic," explains Bill Schutt, a biology professor at Long Island University and author of the new book "Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History." .
"Cannibalism is a widespread practice in the animal kingdom," explains Schutt, and humans are no exception. "What makes us different are the rituals, the culture, the taboos," he says. "We've been programmed to believe that cannibalism is the worst thing you can do."
5 tribes that are classified as cannibals
In the world, there are 5 tribes that are classified as cannibals, and they are undoubtedly the most aggressive and dangerous in the world. Next, here we will name them and I will add where you can locate them:
Leopard Men – West Africa.
Korowai – Papua New Guinea.
Aghori monks – India.
Wari – Brazil.
Amahuacas – Peru
