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Colonial and Pre-Columbian

Mancos Canyon Cannibalism/Massacre Site

1150
Colorado
Era
Colonial and Pre-Columbian
Year
1150
Location
Colorado
Status
Historical record
The Battle

History & Significance

Mancos Canyon Cannibalism/Massacre Site was a Colonial and Pre-Columbian engagement fought in Colorado, 1150.

Excavated and analyzed by Turner and Turner (1999) and White (1992). 29 individuals from a single deposit show a consistent pattern of percussion fracture for marrow extraction, defleshing cut marks, burning, and vertebral "pot polishing" - strong evidence of cannibalism or ritual processing of killed enemies. One of the best-documented cases in a larger corpus of ~76 similar sites Turner identified across the Southwest.

Forces engaged
Unknown vs. small Ancestral Puebloan household
Casualties
29 individuals confirmed
Outcome
Remains of approximately 29 individuals found in a single deposit showing systematic defleshing, marrow extraction, and burning. Consistent with massacre and processing of victims.

Approximate location. The nearest recorded settlement is shown; the exact site is unrecorded.

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

When did Mancos Canyon Cannibalism/Massacre Site take place?
Mancos Canyon Cannibalism/Massacre Site took place in 1150.
Where was Mancos Canyon Cannibalism/Massacre Site fought?
Mancos Canyon Cannibalism/Massacre Site was fought in Colorado, United States.
What was the significance of Mancos Canyon Cannibalism/Massacre Site?
Excavated and analyzed by Turner and Turner (1999) and White (1992). 29 individuals from a single deposit show a consistent pattern of percussion fracture for marrow extraction, defleshing cut marks, burning, and vertebral "pot polishing" - strong evidence of cannibalism or ritual processing of kill
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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
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Notable People
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Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Points of Interest
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More from this era

Other Colonial and Pre-Columbian Engagements

Wason Park Massacre (Pueblo I)
850
Colorado
Duckfoot Site Raid
875
Colorado
Duckfoot Site Early Pueblo Violence
875
Colorado
Grinnell Site Massacre
1150
Colorado
Goodman Point Pueblo Fortification
1200
Colorado
Crow Canyon Area Violence - Loomis Village
1200
Colorado
All battles in Colorado›Colonial and Pre-Columbianconflicts ›Historic sites in Colorado›
Source

This page is compiled from cited public sources.

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