this post was submitted on 26 Dec 2023
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Many prehistoric handprints show a finger missing. What if this was not accidental? (www.theguardian.com)
submitted 11 months ago by FirstCircle@lemmy.ml to c/atheism@lemmy.ml
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scientists led by archaeologist Prof Mark Collard of Simon Fraser University in Vancouver say the truth may be far more gruesome. “There is compelling evidence that these people may have had their fingers amputated deliberately in rituals intended to elicit help from supernatural entities,” said Collard.

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[–] treesquid@lemmy.world 16 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Who wants to bet they just had their fingers bent when they stenciled them?

[–] LeadEyes@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

Even then religious rituals is a bucket explanation used when archeologists have no idea why something is a certain way. If something is weird about an extinct animal then it's always for mate selection reasons. The same sort of thing.

[–] FirstCircle@lemmy.ml 8 points 11 months ago

Except that they (researchers) are claiming to have an idea of why something (fingers) is a certain way (chopped-off in cave paintings).

“There is compelling evidence that these people may have had their fingers amputated deliberately in rituals intended to elicit help from supernatural entities”

If you review their research and find cite-able problems with it, fine, but they're specifically asserting that they have reason to believe that these amputations were real and inspired by beliefs in supernatural deities.