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Forty slaughtered horses mark site of ancient mass sacrifices

Cattle and other animals were slaughtered for rituals during the fifth century bc in what is now Spain.
Close-up of equine bones 35 and 36 in Casas del Turuñuelo site (Badajoz, Spain). Iron Age.

Remains of horses and also some cattle bore evidence of ceremonial killings. Credit: Construyendo Tarteso 2.0

Mass animal sacrifice is sometimes mentioned in ancient Mediterranean literature, such as Homer’s Odyssey, but archaeological evidence of the practice is rare.

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Nature 623, 890 (2023)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-03581-7

References

  1. Iborra Eres, M. P. et al. PLoS ONE 18, e0293654 (2023).

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