...
By Robyn White
Nature Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
The skeleton of a teen with a spinal condition and found buried with a bracelet has puzzled archaeologists.
The discovery was made at the Toca do Olho d'Água das Andorinhas excavation site, in Serra das Confusões national park, east-central Brazil. It was part of a research project from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
The skeleton belonged to an indigenous teenager who lived many, many years ago. However, researchers are not sure just how old she could be, Tiago Tomé told Newsweek. He is a professor at the Federal University of Minas Gerais and is involved in the research project.
Read More
New Species of Scorpion From 240 Million Years Ago Discovered in Museum3 min read
Fisherman Shocked After Reeling in Swordfish Covered in Strange Round Holes3 min read
Fact Check: Is There a 9-Foot, Man-Eating Turtle in Indiana?6 min read
...
Tomé, along with his colleague, professor Grégoire van Havre, from Universidade Federal do Piauí in the city of Teresina, northeastern Brazil, made the discovery after researching the region since 2019.
"We still have no absolute dating for this finding. What we know is that it must be previous to the arrival of European colonization in that region, which happened roughly 300 to 350 years ago," Tomé said.
"She may be quite ancient, indeed, but we have no way of telling for now, since we are still waiting for the radiocarbon dating results," Tomé added. "In short, we know she must be older than 300 years, but how much older, we have yet to determine. Nonetheless, she represents quite an interesting case."
This is because it is clear she suffered from a severe case of spina bifida—a birth condition that causes a malformation of the spine and the tissues around the spinal cord.
"This condition can be present in multiple degrees of severity and, in her case, it was a very severe form of the disease. It's quite likely that she was unable to walk, thus meaning that she would have to be taken care of by the remaining people of her group," Tomé said.
"This shows us that the notions we hold today surrounding the care for disabled people are not only not exclusive to our time, nor to Western societies. Indigenous peoples in Brazil were displaying that same behavior before the arrival of colonialism," Tomé added.
The teenager also appeared to be buried with a bracelet around her right arm. Looking closely, researchers believe it was made with close to 1,000 small beads. The exact material is still unknown, but it is probably seeds, Tomé said.
"Relatively close to her was the skull of a tapir, although we still need to clarify if there is actually a connection between these two finds," Tomé added. This will be looked into when this year's excavation begins in just over a week's time.
The teen is being studied at the Laboratory of Osteoarchaeology at Universidade Federal do Piauí, by professor Claudia Cunha and her students. "She is also an essential part of the project, and her lab is dedicated to the study of human and animal remains," Tomé said.
He added that the team will return to the site in a few days with students from various universities, to clarify some of these findings.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines