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In 1942, disconcerting experts discovered hundreds of human skeletal remains in a deep lake in the Himalayas. Nicknamed "Skeleton Lake", the site is immersed in mystery for decades, prompting a new DNA analysis of bones. The research has, however, yielded surprising results.
Roopkund Lake is 16,499 feet above sea level in the Indian Himalayas and skeletons found in this place have long been suspected of being victims of an ancient catastrophic event, according to scientists.
The results of the research are published in Nature Communications.
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"Little is known about the origin of these skeletons, because they have never been the subject of systematic anthropological or archaeological controls, partly because of the disturbed nature of the site, frequently affected by landslides and that local pilgrims often visit. and hikers who manipulated the skeletons and removed many artifacts, "says the international team of researchers.
Skeletal remains scattered around the Roopkund Lake site.
(Himadri Sinha Roy)
The macabre site is also part of the local legend. "Local folklore describes a pilgrimage to the nearby shrine of the mountain goddess, Nanda Devi, undertaken by a king and queen and their many assistants who, because of their inappropriate celebratory behavior, were struck by the wrath of [nearby mountain] Nanda Devi, "explain the scientists. "It was also suggested that it was the remains of an army or a group of merchants caught in a storm." Finally, it was suggested that they were the victims of an epidemic. "
Scientists sequenced the genomes of 38 skeletons of Lake Roopkund, revealing surprising results. While 23 had a typical South Asian ancestry, 14 came from the east of the Mediterranean. An individual has Asian origins from the southeast.
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"We were extremely surprised by the genetics of Roopkund's skeletons," said Harvard University senior author Eadaoin Harney, in a statement issued by the German Max Planck Institute, also involved in the research. "The presence of individuals with ancestors typically associated with the eastern Mediterranean suggests that Roopkund Lake was not only a site of local interest, but rather attracted visitors from around the world. integer ".
Snowy skeletons at the Roopkund Lake site. (Pramod Joglekar)
The food analysis also confirmed the various origins of the skeletons. "The skeletal reconstruction of skeletons by stable isotopes also promotes the presence of several distinct groups," explained the Max Planck Institute.
In addition, radiocarbon dating revealed that the remains date from very different times. All remnants of South Asian descent were dated about 800 BC. BC, while the other skeletal remains analyzed were dated about 1800 BC. These results refute previous suggestions that the skeletons of Lake Roopkund would have been deposited in a single catastrophic event, "say scientists in Nature Communications.
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"We still do not know what brought these individuals to Roopkund Lake or how they died," said Niraj Rai of the Birbal Sahni Paleoscience Institute in Lucknow, India, in the Max Planck Institute's statement. "We hope this study represents the first of many analyzes of this mysterious site."
Lake Roopkund and surrounding mountains. (Atish Waghwase)
Gyro sites in other parts of the world also reveal their secrets. A medieval cemetery in Lebanon, for example, sheds new light on the times of the Crusaders in the Middle East.
Workers preparing to install new water pipes have recently discovered a macabre burial site in the United Kingdom. About 26 human skeletons dating back to the Iron Age and the Roman period were found on the site of Childrey Warren, Oxfordshire, some of which would be ritual burials.
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Experts in Peru have recently revealed the macabre details of a 15th century ritual sacrifice site in Peru, which contains the remains of more than 140 children.
Roopkund Lake is 16,499 feet above sea level in the Indian Himalayas.
(Pramod Joglekar)
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In Mexico, a vast array of skulls buried under the streets of the modern city of Mexico illuminates the terrible details of Aztec human sacrifice.
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