The hunt continuesĭespite the low odds of DNA preservation in places like Sulawesi, there could be more skeletons like Bessé''s, perhaps older, waiting to be found. The new results, he added, "suggests that there was an earlier influx of Asian genes that long predates the Austronesian expansion". "They brought with them the first understanding of how to cultivate plants, how to domesticate animals, pottery and other classic Neolithic technologies." "It was thought the earliest influx of Asian DNA occurred during the Neolithic farming transition, when Austronesian-speaking populations swept down from modern-day Taiwan and into Indonesia," Professor Brumm said. ( Supplied: Leang Panninge research team) He said DNA testing could determine whether the two were related, “but that still leaves other hypotheses the Romeo-and- Juliet possibility is just one of many.The skeleton was found nearly 2 metres below the cave floor. The two bodies, which cuddle closely while facing each other on their sides, were probably buried at the same time, an indication of a possible sudden and tragic death, Bondioli said. The finds will then go on display at Mantua’s Archaeological Museum.Įstablishing the cause of death could prove almost impossible, unless they were killed by a debilitating disease, a knife or something else that might have left marks on the bones, Menotti said. Alongside the couple, archaeologists found flint tools, including arrowheads and a knife, Menotti said.Įxperts will now study the artifacts and the skeletons to determine the burial site’s age and how old the two were when they died, she said. The couple’s burial site was located Monday during construction work for a factory in the outskirts of Mantua. “From thousands of years ago we feel the strength of this love. “It was a very emotional discovery,” she said. Menotti said the burial was “a ritual, but we have to find out what it means.”Įxperts might never determine the exact nature of the pair’s relationship, but Menotti said she had little doubt it was born of a deep sentiment. “It was when the roots of our religious sentiment were formed.” “The Neolithic is a very formative period for our society,” he said. “Double burials from the Neolithic are unheard of, and these are even hugging.”Īrchaeologists digging in the region have found some 30 burial sites, all single, as well as the remains of prosperous villages filled with artifacts made of flint, pottery and animal horns.Īlthough the Mantua pair strike an unusual and touching pose, archaeologists have found other prehistoric burials in which the dead hold hands or have other contact, said Luca Bondioli, an anthropologist at Rome’s National Prehistoric and Ethnographic Museum.īondioli, who was not involved in the Mantua dig, said the find has “more of an emotional than a scientific value.” But it does highlight how the relationship people have with each other and with death has not changed much from the period in which humanity first settled in villages, learning to farm the land and tame animals, he said. “As far as we know, it’s unique,” Menotti told The Associated Press by telephone from Milan. Digital Replica Edition Home Page Close Menu
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |