Oldest Suspected Bear Attack on a Human Revealed in 27,000-Year-Old Italian Grave
TL;DR
New analysis of the 27,900–27,300-year-old skeleton nicknamed “Il Principe” from Arene Candide Cave in Liguria, Italy, strengthens the case that he was mauled by a large carnivore—likely a bear—based on perimortem injuries to the jaw and shoulder, plus teeth and possible neck fractures. The pattern, including a linear marking on the parietal bone and a fibula puncture, supports animal mauling as the most plausible death cause. If confirmed, this would mark the oldest known fatal bear attack on a modern human and would tie the violent event to an elaborate Gravettian burial, suggesting exceptional status for the individual.
- This May Be the Oldest Known Victim of a Bear Attack—and It’s Brutal Gizmodo
- Stone Age teenager was mauled by a bear 28,000 years ago, skeletal analysis confirms Live Science
- Stone Age teen buried in Italy died after bear attack 28,000 years ago, new forensic study finds Archaeology News Online Magazine
- Researchers Say This Paleolithic Teenage Boy Died a Slow Death After a Bear Mauled Him Smithsonian Magazine
- A foraging teenager was mauled by a bear 27,000 years ago, skeleton shows Scientific American
Want the full story? Read the original reporting
Read on Gizmodo