Heras Hermanos (Olalde et al, 2018)

I'll assume these two samples represent brothers because samples 11 and 12 are consolidated under I6472.  It may be the samples are from the same individual.  In any case, one or both under I6472 was R1b1a1a2 and HV0b.  This La Magdalena grave follows the last post on a girl.

Before continuing, Heras, Galera and Bastida (2012) enumerated three possible individuals in this scrambled up grave (5005), labeling individuals 5010a, b and c, being so they thought, a male and two females.  So the two samples are from the one man, or brothers.  The grave was a mess and perhaps the archaeologists took a chance on two bones.

From Olalde et al, 2018 supplement:

"The artificial cave 5005 was found greatly altered because it was opened and closed multiple times. This caused the breakage of the slab that acted as a door. This structure presents the inhumation of two undetermined adult men buried at different phases. The earliest one presents red ochre sprinkled on it (I6472). Two non-decorated bowls are bound to this structure, but it is impossible to determine to which remains they were associated with.I6472/RISE701, RISE702, sample #11,#12, STTL 5010: 2500–2000 BCE"

I find it interesting that at La Magdalena features a male doubles grave and a female doubles grave. Actually, the female doubles grave is really a triple, since the headless hermanas are laying on top of another headless woman from which they were intentionally segregated (Garrido Pena). The Heras Hermanos may be one guy and two chicks - Regardless, no heads!

Tomb 5005 Individual 1050a and 1050b (Heras and Galera, 2016)

It's less likely that either instance is a case of human sacrifice, instead it looks to be the case in the headless women that the heads were removed during the decomposition process and evidence from the grave confirms that these graves were opened on more than one occasion.

The view in Cabrera-Jimenez is that this represents some sort of cultic practice involving the head of ancestors.  There are reasons this is probably the case, but there is another fascinating element mentioned by Heras, Galera and Bastida - missing copper rings.


One or several phalanges in this grave were stained with green copper oxide, but no rings were encountered in the grave.  I find this suspicious because reverent, ancestor-head-worshipping relatives wouldn't steal the rings from the fingers of their dead relatives would they? And yet this grave is smashed beyond all comprehension.  This was only a fragment of copper laminate left is this grave.  Was this grave smashed and robbed?

I6472, up one from highlighted area.  Olalde et al, 2018 sup

Notice not only the position of I6472, but see that the Spaniards that are shifted to the left are all from Humanejos, Camino de Yeseras and La Magdalena.  See the map and comments in the last post.


This link actually includes about four papers in one pdf referenced here:


Cabrera-Jimenez et al, 2012
"El Campaniforme en la submeseta surEstudio antropológico de los restos esqueléticos de la Magdalena I (Alcalá de Henares)"

Heras, Galera and Bastida
"Enterramientos y ritual funerario en una necrópolis calcolítica con campaniforme en la submeseta sur: El Yacimiento de “La Magdalena” I (Alcalá de Henares)"