All articles tagged with #archaeologyscience
An Iron Age Scottish woman likely had her brain deliberately removed after death as part of a burial rite, based on skull cut marks and a base fracture. Four long bones were polished and repositioned in the grave, suggesting reverence for the deceased. DNA and radiocarbon dating place her and a nearby young male as relatives who died between 50 BCE and 70 CE, highlighting complex funerary practices in Iron Age Britain.
A team of scientists at Oxford University has discovered that human brains can preserve quite well, challenging the long-held belief that they quickly decompose after death. Through an analysis of over 4,000 human brains dating back 12,000 years, the researchers identified five distinct preservation methods, including saponification, freezing, tanning, dehydration, and an unknown category. The study suggests that local environmental conditions play a significant role in brain preservation, and it raises questions about how nearly a third of the brains have lasted as long as they have.