Man Corn

The book “Man Corn: Cannibalism and Violence in the Prehistoric American Southwest” was wrote by Christy G. Turner II and Jacqueline A. Turner in 1999. In the five chapters that this book spans, Turner outlines the gruesome truth about the practices carried out by the people of the American Southwest.  Cannibalism was practiced in the Four Corners region of The United States, specifically Chaco Canyon, since 900 A.D. but the practice originated in Mexico. (Turner 2) Many people had previously thought that the native people were generally peaceful and had no history of violence. The first chapter of this book gives an introduction of the area of focus and states the newly found truth and explains what “Cannibalism” is. An interesting fact can be found on page three and Turner quotes Fernández from 1992 “ Indeed, the title for this book comes from Nahuatl (Aztec) word tlacaatlaolli, “man corn,” a “sacred meal of sacrificed human meat, cooked with corn”.

 

(Man Corn book cover)

 

Interpreting Human Bone Damage: Taphonomic, Ethnographic, and Archaeological Evidence is the title of the second chapter. There are many different ways that a person can determine a cause of death of a human by just looking at their bones. For example we can tell if a person was consumed by another human by looking for three distinct characteristics. First, if marks on the bones match those of large or small animals used for in hunting game. This can indicate that the person might had been prepared for consumption. Second, we compare the bones to others to make sure that it wasn’t environmental factors or other animals that caused these marking. And Lastly, we would compare the human bones to those of another, cannibalised remains will look nothing like those that were buried. All of these will fall under the word Taphonomy, or death history. (Turner 10)

Man Corn’s third chapter is titled Taphonomic Evidence for Cannibalism and Violence in the American Southwest: Seventy-Six Sites. This very long and detailed section gives data, analysis, statistics, and comparisons of all individuals found in the American South that showed cannibalism. (Turner 55) Below are some picture of sites were cannibal remains have been found.

 

(Pueblo Bonito)                                             (Site from Chaco Canyon)

After the listings Turner’s next chapter talks about comparative evidence. Here they write about comparing human remains that were believed to have been consumed, to bones from Aztecs in mexico who have been know to consume their dead. Turner starts the chapter by giving a very detail and morbid account from Fray Bernardino de Sahagún from 1529 about how the aztecs sacrificed their people and captives. They then go on to comparing cut marks on bones and bone fragments. Turner then concludes the book with a final summary of cannibalism for her last chapter. Man Corn is a very interesting read and I have personally gained a lot of info out of it. I wish I could relay all of the interesting things I have learned in this summary.

 

Bibliography:

 

Turner, Christy G., and Jacqueline A. Turner. Man Corn: Cannibalism and Violence

in the Prehistoric American Southwest. Salt Lake City: U of Utah P, 1999.