Editing Human cannibalism (section)

==History==
{{See also|List of incidents of cannibalism}}
There is archaeological evidence that cannibalism has been practised for at least hundreds of thousands of years by early ''Homo sapiens'' and archaic hominins.<ref name=NS>{{cite journal|title=Natural born cannibals|journal=New Scientist|date=July 10, 2004|page=30|url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg18324555.400-natural-born-cannibals.html?full=true|first=Richard |last=Hollingham}}</ref>
Among modern humans, cannibalism has been practised by various groups.<ref name="Cannibalism Normal">{{cite web |last=Roach |first=John |date=April 10, 2003 |url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/04/0410_030410_cannibal.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030627233037/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/04/0410_030410_cannibal.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 27, 2003 |title=Cannibalism Normal For Early Humans? |work=National Geographic}}</ref> An incomplete list of cases where it is documented to have occurred in institutionalized form includes [[Prehistoric Europe|prehistoric]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.britarch.ac.uk/ba/ba59/feat1.shtml |title=The edible dead |publisher=Britarch.ac.uk |access-date=August 30, 2009 |archive-date=March 16, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100316144944/http://www.britarch.ac.uk/ba/ba59/feat1.shtml |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Suelzle |first=Ben |url=http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/publications/eras/edition-7/suelzlereview.php |title=Review of "The Origins of War: Violence in Prehistory", Jean Guilaine and Jean Zammit |journal=ERAS Journal |issue=7 |date=November 2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130204054306/http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/publications/eras/edition-7/suelzlereview.php |archive-date=February 4, 2013 }}</ref> and [[early modern Europe]],<ref name=Everts-Hypocritical/> [[South America]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lehigh.edu/~ejg1/natimag/Harry.html |title=Hans Staden Among the Tupinambas |publisher=Lehigh.edu |access-date=August 30, 2009}}</ref> [[Mesoamerica]],<ref>Kay A. Read, "Cannibalism" in ''Oxford Encyclopedia of Mesoamerican Cultures'', vol. 1, pp. 137–139. New York: Oxford University Press 2001.</ref> [[Iroquois|Iroquoian peoples]] in North America,<ref>''Unfortunate Emigrants: Narratives of the Donner Party'', Utah State University Press. {{ISBN|0-87421-204-9}}</ref> parts of [[West Africa|Western]] and [[Central Africa]],<ref name="britannica cannibalism"/> [[China]]{{sfn|Chong|1990}}{{sfn|Zheng|2018}} and [[Sumatra]],<ref name="britannica cannibalism"/> among pre-contact [[Aboriginal Australians]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rubinstein |first=William D. |date=September 25, 2021 |title=The Incidence of Cannibalism in Aboriginal Society |url=https://quadrant.org.au/magazine/2021/09/the-incidence-of-cannibalism-in-aboriginal-society/ |access-date=March 31, 2024 |website=quadrant.org.au |language=en-AU}}</ref> among [[Māori people|Māori]] in New Zealand,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wais.stanford.edu/NewZealand/newzealand_maorican1.html|title=Māori Cannibalism|access-date=July 27, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120526222026/http://wais.stanford.edu/NewZealand/newzealand_maorican1.html|archive-date=May 26, 2012}}</ref> on some other [[Polynesia]]n islands<ref name="britannica cannibalism"/> as well as in [[New Guinea]],<ref name="Sleeping with Cannibals"/> the [[Solomon Islands]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,790434,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080112210314/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,790434,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 12, 2008 |title=King of the Cannibal Isles |magazine=Time |date=May 11, 1942 |access-date=August 30, 2009}}</ref> and [[Fiji]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/233880.stm |title=Fijians find chutney in bad taste |work=[[BBC News]] |date=December 13, 1998 |access-date=August 30, 2009}}</ref> Evidence of cannibalism has also been found in ruins associated with the [[Ancestral Puebloans]], at [[Cowboy Wash]] in the [[Southwestern United States]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archives.cnn.com/2000/NATURE/09/06/american.cannibals.ap/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080706194808/http://archives.cnn.com/2000/NATURE/09/06/american.cannibals.ap/|archive-date=July 6, 2008|title=CNN.com – Lab tests show evidence of cannibalism among ancient Indians – September 6, 2000|date=July 6, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.archaeology.org/9709/newsbriefs/anasazi.html |title=Anasazi Cannibalism? |publisher=Archaeology.org |access-date=August 30, 2009}}</ref><ref name="NatGeo">{{cite magazine|author=Alexandra Witze|date=June 1, 2001|title= Researchers Divided Over Whether Anasazi Were Cannibals|url=https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/06/0601_wireanasazi.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011025235351/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/06/0601_wireanasazi.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 25, 2001|access-date=November 22, 2017|magazine=National Geographic}}</ref>

After [[World War I]], institutionalized cannibalism has become very rare, but cases were still reported during times of famine. Occasional cannibal acts committed by individual criminals also are documented throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.

=== The Americas ===
{{excerpt|Cannibalism in the Americas}}

=== Africa ===
{{excerpt|Cannibalism in Africa}}

=== Europe ===
{{excerpt|Cannibalism in Europe}}

=== Asia ===
{{excerpt|Cannibalism in Asia}}

=== Oceania ===
{{excerpt|Cannibalism in Oceania}}