This is scientific American 60 second science. I'm Dina Fine Merrin. Got a minute?

The first murder victim in the Bible is able, taken out by his brother Kane.

And now we have what looks to be the earliest known hospital. able, taken out by his brother, Kane.

And now we have what looks to be the earliest known homicide

to be confirmed by scientists.

A new study concludes that human remains

found at an archaeological site in northern Spain

are from someone who is bludgeoned to death about

430,000 years ago. The findings are in the journal Ploss 1. The researchers piece together 52

skull fragments found in an underground cave.

Two holes above the left eye socket are especially diagnostic.

A blow that would create either hole would probably be deadly.

And the lack of any signs of healing around the holes

implies either that the impacts were lethal or occurred after death. The absence of

any cut marks on the skull helps rule out post-mortem cannibalism or rituals that could have caused

the observed damage. The discovery of the body in a cave could mean that the victim was moved

there. The find would thus be evidence for ancient burial practices,

unless the murderer was just hiding the body.

This exceedingly cold-case crime scene investigation

shows that even before the emergence of modern humans some 200,000 years ago, violence and murder were a part of life.

The perpetrator's remains remain at large.

Thanks for the minute for... perpetrators remains remain at large. For Scientific American 60 Second Science, I'm Dina Fine-Marin.

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