In a discovery shedding light on prehistoric human conflict, archaeologists have found a flint arrowhead embedded in a human rib dating back more than 4,000 years. The remains were unearthed at Roc de les Orenetes, a high-altitude collective burial site in the Catalan Pyrenees (northeast Spain), situated over 1,800 meters above sea level.
This exceptional find—revealing direct evidence of interpersonal violence—was made during recent excavations led by Dr. Carlos Tornero from the IPHES-CERCA and the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.
This discovery provides a rare, tangible glimpse into the social tensions within early highland communities of the third millennium BCE. It stands as direct, almost forensic proof of interpersonal conflict—highlighting the critical value of archaeological research in uncovering not just how these people lived, but how they responded to violence and adversity.
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