Strauss André, Oliveira Rodrigo Elias, Bernardo Danilo V, Salazar-García Domingo C, Talamo Sahra, Jaouen Klervia, Hubbe Mark, Black Sue, Wilkinson Caroline, Richards Michael Phillip, Araujo Astolfo G M, Kipnis Renato, Neves Walter Alves
Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.
Laboratório de Estudos Evolutivos Humanos, Departamento de Genética e Biologia Evolutiva, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
PLoS One. 2015 Sep 23;10(9):e0137456. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0137456. eCollection 2015.
We present here evidence for an early Holocene case of decapitation in the New World (Burial 26), found in the rock shelter of Lapa do Santo in 2007. Lapa do Santo is an archaeological site located in the Lagoa Santa karst in east-central Brazil with evidence of human occupation dating as far back as 11.7-12.7 cal kyBP (95.4% interval). An ultra-filtered AMS age determination on a fragment of the sphenoid provided an age range of 9.1-9.4 cal kyBP (95.4% interval) for Burial 26. The interment was composed of an articulated cranium, mandible and first six cervical vertebrae. Cut marks with a v-shaped profile were observed in the mandible and sixth cervical vertebra. The right hand was amputated and laid over the left side of the face with distal phalanges pointing to the chin and the left hand was amputated and laid over the right side of the face with distal phalanges pointing to the forehead. Strontium analysis comparing Burial 26's isotopic signature to other specimens from Lapa do Santo suggests this was a local member of the group. Therefore, we suggest a ritualized decapitation instead of trophy-taking, testifying for the sophistication of mortuary rituals among hunter-gatherers in the Americas during the early Archaic period. In the apparent absence of wealth goods or elaborated architecture, Lapa do Santo's inhabitants seemed to use the human body to express their cosmological principles regarding death.
我们在此展示了2007年在圣托岩洞发现的新世界全新世早期斩首案例（墓葬26号）的证据。圣托岩洞是位于巴西中东部拉戈阿圣塔岩溶地区的一处考古遗址，有证据表明人类在此居住的时间可追溯至公元前11700 - 12700年（校准年代，95.4%置信区间）。对一块蝶骨碎片进行的超滤加速器质谱测年，确定墓葬26号的年代范围为公元前9100 - 9400年（校准年代，95.4%置信区间）。该墓葬包含一具连接在一起的颅骨、下颌骨和头六个颈椎骨。在下颌骨和第六颈椎骨上观察到了呈V形轮廓的切割痕迹。右手被截断，放置在面部左侧，远端指骨指向下巴，左手被截断，放置在面部右侧，远端指骨指向额头。通过将墓葬26号的锶分析同位素特征与圣托岩洞的其他标本进行比较，表明这是该群体的一名当地成员。因此，我们认为这是一次仪式性斩首而非战利品获取行为，证明了美洲古代早期狩猎采集者丧葬仪式的复杂性。在明显缺乏财富物品或精致建筑的情况下，圣托岩洞的居民似乎利用人体来表达他们关于死亡的宇宙观。
