Secrets of the Dead - Cannibalism in the Canyon (vol. 4) [VHS] Overview
Nothing in human existence is more disturbing than cannibalism, and few things could be more controversial than a scientist claiming that members of a revered ancient civilization consumed human flesh. This documentary, an installment in PBS's Secrets of the Dead set, presents the point of view of a paleoanthropologist who contends that the inhabitants of what is now New Mexico hacked apart other humans and cooked them in giant stewpots. Native Americans who consider themselves descendents of the Anasazi culture, which is widely considered to have been an enlightened society of pueblo dwellers, are naturally appalled by this thesis, considering it an unspeakable libel against their ancestors.
As the detective story in this documentary unfolds, clear evidence of cannibalism does emerge. The problem is that the artifacts, damning as they are, can't tell the entire story of the terrible things that happened in the canyons where the Anasazi lived. Scientists do stand firm in their belief that people were being butchered and eaten in the pueblo community, but a surprising scenario emerges to explain just who the cannibals were. This is a riveting scientific story made even more interesting by the ethical and cultural concerns that play a role in the deductive process. --Robert J. McNamara
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