English settlers in US turned to cannibalism

Newly discovered human bones have proven that the first permanent English settlers in North America became cannibals to deal with the winter of 1609-10, US researchers have said.

Newly discovered human bones have proven that the first permanent English settlers in North America became cannibals to deal with the winter of 1609-10, US researchers have said.

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Scientists said that they discovered unusual cuts consistent with butchering for meat on human bones that were dumped in a rubbish pit.

The four-century-old skull and tibia of a teenage girl in James Fort, Virginia, were excavated from the dump last year.

James Fort, which was founded in 1607, was the earliest part of the Jamestown colony.