Archaeologists excavating the Gran Dolina cave in Atapuerca, northern Spain, have uncovered the earliest direct evidence of prehistoric human cannibalism ever recorded in Europe.

However, the most disturbing aspect of the discovery wasn’t the cannibalism itself, it was who the victim was.

Researchers found the decapitated, butchered remains of a toddler who had been consumed by fellow humans.

Analysis of the fossil, a cervical vertebra, only confirmed the archaeologists’ worst fears, as it revealed clean, deliberate cut marks that pointed to the child’s gruesome fate.

Archaeologists in Spain found evidence that our prehistoric ancestors saw in toddlers a viable source of food

“This case is particularly striking, not only because of the child’s age, but also due to the precision of the

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