More than 40 years ago, archeologists discovered an unusual 5,500-year-old tomb at Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux near Avignon, in southern France. The tomb contained the remains of three Neolithic women, two of whom were in an unusual mortuary stance. A new study has revisited these remains and, in the process, has uncovered a ghastly secret hidden for millennia. The two women did not die of natural causes. They were likely killed as a sacrificial offering meant to gain favor with supernatural forces. Ritualistic sacrifices have always been a thing in the ancient world, but this time it’s really s…
