Final answer:
Reliable evidence of cannibalism includes cutmarks on human bones which suggest intentional dismemberment. Contextual clues and the archaeological record help determine if such marks indicate cannibalism or other cultural practices like funerary rites.
Step-by-step explanation:
Evidence of cannibalism is indeed considered reliable when it includes direct physical evidence such as cutmarks on human bones. These cutmarks indicate that flesh was removed from bones with the intention of dismemberment, which is a clear sign when compared to other forms such as butchery or cooking context of animals, burning of human bones, or evidence of malnutrition in others at the site. However, determining the intent behind these cutmarks—whether for cannibalism, funerary rites, or other cultural practices—remains a subject of academic debate. Historical instances, like the findings at the Jamestown colony, provide corroborating evidence through the presence of cutmarks on human skulls amidst signs of severe starvation, thereby suggesting cannibalism out of necessity.
In archaeology, examining food evidence such as hearths, pottery, tools, and animal bones allows anthropologists to make inferences about past human diets and cultural practices. The archaeological record can reveal much about human existence, including rituals and daily life. Therefore, cannibalism as an archaeological interpretation is heavily reliant on the context in which the human remains are found, including the marks on bones and associated artifacts.