Scientists smashed fake skulls in the lab, revealing the violent relationships between Neolithic people.
In a cave in Tarragona, Spain, about 5000 years ago, someone snuck up behind an older man and hit him over the head with a blunt object, likely killing him. The archaeological record is full of such attacks, yet researchers have struggled to figure out the details of what occurred. Now, they’re a lot closer, thanks to a new study in which scientists smashed a bunch of fake skulls in the lab.
The researchers started with two old-school weapons, axes and adzes—a bit of a cross between a hammer and an ax. Both were popular during the Neolithic age, which ranges from 10,000 to 4500 B.C.E., a time of increased human contact—and violence. For their victims, the researchers created synthetic skulls made of polyurethane, rubber “skin,” and filled with gelatin to resemble the soft tissue of the brain. Then, action!, showed both weapons left different fracture patterns.
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