430,000-year-old skull found inside the ‘Pit of Bones’ in northern Spain could be the first murder in human history

A SKULL pieced together from 52 fragments found inside the Spanish “Pit of Bones” could be the world’s first murder victim — at the ripe old age of 430,000-years-old.

WEB ONLY MUST CREDIT REUTERS/PICTURE MEDIA ONE TIME USE The skull of a prehistoric human relative that lived 430,000 years ago and found in a cave in northern Spain is shown in this undated handout photo provided by Madrid Scientific Films May 27, 2015. Scientists on Wednesday said the skull discovered deep inside a cave in the Atapuerca mountain range, showed telltale signs of homicide: two fractures inflicted on the victim by the same weapon. REUTERS/Javier Trueba/Madrid Scientific Films/Handout via Reuters ATTENTION EDITORS - NO ARCHIVES. NO SALES. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS. NO COMMERCIAL USE.

A SKULL found in Spain may be the first murder to have occurred in human history, scientists say.

After piecing together 52 fragments of a broken skull thought to be more than 430,000-years-old, researchers from a Spanish and US international team found that the person suffered two blows to the area above the left eye, one of which was likely lethal.

According to the researchers from the Centre for the Evolution and Human Behaviour, the two deep holes above the eye were not consistent with an accidental fall down a 13-metre hole, The Independent reports.

The skull fragments were located at the Sima de los Huesos (Pit of Bones) site in the Atapuerca Mountains, northern Spain.

The research team concluded that: “Given that either of the two traumatic events was likely lethal, the presence of multiple blows implies an intention to kill.”