title: The Oldest Case of Decapitation in the New World (Lapa do Santo, East-Central Brazil).
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Strauss
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Estudos Evolutivos Humanos, Departamento de Genética e Biologia Evolutiva, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rodrigo Elias
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Estudos Evolutivos Humanos, Departamento de Genética e Biologia Evolutiva, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Instituto de Ciências Humanas e da Informação, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Rio Grande, Brazil.
authors.forename: Danilo V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Bernardo
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany; Department of Archaeology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa; Departament de Prehistòria i Arqueologia, Universitat de València, València, Spain.
authors.forename: Domingo C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Salazar-García
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Sahra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Talamo
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Klervia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jaouen
authors.affiliation: The Ohio State University, Department of Anthropology, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America; Instituto de Investigaciones Arqueológicas y Museo, Universidad Católica der Norte, San Pedro de Atacama, Chile.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hubbe
authors.affiliation: University of Dundee, Centre for Anatomy & Human Identification, Dundee, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Black
authors.affiliation: University of Dundee, Centre for Anatomy & Human Identification, Dundee, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany; Department of Anthropology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
authors.forename: Michael Phillip
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Richards
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Estudos Evolutivos Humanos, Departamento de Genética e Biologia Evolutiva, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Pesquisas em Evolução, Cultura e Meio Ambiente, Museu de Arqueologia e Etnologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Astolfo G M
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Araujo
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Estudos Evolutivos Humanos, Departamento de Genética e Biologia Evolutiva, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Scientia Consultoria Científica Ltda., São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kipnis
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Estudos Evolutivos Humanos, Departamento de Genética e Biologia Evolutiva, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Walter Alves
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Neves
mesh_terms: D001106:Archaeology; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D001938:Brazil; D002048:Burial; D049248:Decapitation / Q000266:history*; D005843:Geography; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D055110:Radiometric Dating; D013325:Strontium Isotopes
chemical_list: D013325:Strontium Isotopes