Post by L Roebuck on Dec 10, 2008 7:46:01 GMT -5
12,000 Year Old Woman Found in Israel
Identifying the grave of an ancient shaman would seem to be impossible but that has been done recently in Israel. Archeologists discovered the skeleton of a 12,000 year old, female shaman who belonged to the Near East Natufian Culture of 15,000 to 11,500 BCE. Grave offerings included 50 complete tortoise shells, a leopard’s pelvis, the wing tip of a golden eagle, tail of a cow, two marten skulls and a human foot. The forearm of a large boar was aligned with the woman’s left humerus, an arrangement that must have had magical significance. All of these animals are rare in Natufian graves and the assemblage is highly unusual. The tortoises were eaten before their shells (’carapace’) were put in the grave, perhaps this meal was part of the burial ritual.
Full Article
Identifying the grave of an ancient shaman would seem to be impossible but that has been done recently in Israel. Archeologists discovered the skeleton of a 12,000 year old, female shaman who belonged to the Near East Natufian Culture of 15,000 to 11,500 BCE. Grave offerings included 50 complete tortoise shells, a leopard’s pelvis, the wing tip of a golden eagle, tail of a cow, two marten skulls and a human foot. The forearm of a large boar was aligned with the woman’s left humerus, an arrangement that must have had magical significance. All of these animals are rare in Natufian graves and the assemblage is highly unusual. The tortoises were eaten before their shells (’carapace’) were put in the grave, perhaps this meal was part of the burial ritual.
Full Article