Oldest Suspected Bear Attack on a Human Revealed in 27,000-Year-Old Italian Grave
New analysis of the 27,900–27,300-year-old skeleton nicknamed “Il Principe” from Arene Candide Cave in Liguria, Italy, strengthens the case that he was mauled by a large carnivore—likely a bear—based on perimortem injuries to the jaw and shoulder, plus teeth and possible neck fractures. The pattern, including a linear marking on the parietal bone and a fibula puncture, supports animal mauling as the most plausible death cause. If confirmed, this would mark the oldest known fatal bear attack on a modern human and would tie the violent event to an elaborate Gravettian burial, suggesting exceptional status for the individual.
