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A 145,000-Year-Old Skull May Show the Oldest Known Evidence of a Face Stabbing

Researchers say the ancient Homo sapiens skull shows signs of a sharp-force wound that may have healed before death.

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One of the oldest known burial sites ever discovered is also home to what appears to be evidence of horrific violence committed as far back as 145,000 years ago. As it was chronicled in Scientific Reports, one recently reexamined Homo sapiens skull belonged to a person who appears to have been stabbed in the face.

The skull, known as Qafzeh 25, was uncovered decades ago at Qafzeh Cave in present-day Israel, where archaeologists have identified at least 27 deliberate burials dating between 145,000 and 92,000 years ago. The site is one of the earliest known examples of humans intentionally burying their dead, suggesting these ancient people already........

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