• Prehistoric Human Brain Found Pickled in a Bog
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[QUOTE] A human skull dated to about 2,684 years ago with an "exceptionally preserved" human brain still inside of it was recently discovered in a waterlogged U.K. pit, according to a new Journal of Archaeological Science study. The brain is the oldest known intact human brain from Europe and Asia, according to the authors, who also believe it's one of the best-preserved ancient brains in the world. "The early Iron Age skull belonged to a man, probably in his thirties," lead author Sonia O'Connor told Discovery News. "Cause of death is rarely possible to determine in archaeological remains, but in this case, damage to the neck vertebrae is consistent with a hanging." SLIDE SHOW: Faces of Our Ancestors "The head was then carefully severed from the neck using a small blade, such as a knife," added O'Connor, a post-doctoral research associate at the University of Bradford. "This was used to cut through the throat and between the vertebrae and has left a cluster of fine cut marks on the bone." The brain-containing skull was found at Heslington, Yorkshire, in the United Kingdom. O'Connor and her team suspect the site served a ceremonial function that persisted from the Bronze Age through the early Roman period. Many pits at the site were marked with single stakes. The remains of the man were without a body, but the scientists also found the headless body of a red deer that had been deposited into a channel. Laser imaging, chemical analysis and other examinations revealed that the brain naturally preserved over the millennia. The scientists found no evidence for bacterial or fungal activity, and described the tissue as being "odorless…with a resilient, tofu-like texture." The condition of the brain is remarkable for its age. NEWS: Prehistoric Jewelry Reveals Neanderthal Fashion Sense "In the air, even in the chill of a hospital mortuary, brain tissue very quickly decays to liquid before muscle and other soft tissues show much evidence of decay," O'Connor said. She and her colleagues suggest that a fortuitous series of events -- for the brain and science, not the victim -- led to the organ's preservation. Shortly after the man was killed, his head must have been placed, or fallen into, the waterlogged pit that was free of oxygen. While other soft human body parts may not preserve well under such conditions, the wet environment appears to be perfect for keeping brains "fresh," "due to the very different chemistry of brain tissue," O'Connor said. The researchers don't think the violent way the man was killed aided his brain's preservation. While severing his head separated it from the rest of his body, including the bacteria-filled gut, the decapitation "would also have produced a gaping wound that would have been open to immediate infection from micro-organisms involved in putrefaction." The quick burial in conditions not suited for microbial activity likely prevented that from happening. NEWS: Humans Weren't Always at the Top of the Food Chain In addition to describing this unusually well preserved brain, the journal paper provides the first in-depth study of other prehistoric human brains and soft human tissues discovered by scientists. They include the body of the 5,000-year-old Tyrolean "Ice Man," the Inca mummies of the high Andes, the tanned bog bodies from across Northern and Western Europe, good condition bodies sealed in lead coffins -- such as the St. Bees man, and crypt burials at places like Spitalfields Church, London, where bodies with surviving brain tissue were found. Glen Doran, chair of the anthropology department at Florida State University, told Discovery News that two aspects of the new study immediately struck him as "notable." "First," he said, "such preservation is testimony to the amazing preservation in wet sites. Truly amazing things come out of the muck." "The second, he added, "is the absolutely stellar analysis brought to bear on this special find." NEWS: Stone Age Fertility Ritual Object Found Based on this discovery and other known prehistoric, intact human brains, he agrees that rapid burial in an aqueous environment, as well as near-continual submersion, are essential to human brain tissue preservation. "The cranium is well designed to protect the brain in life and can, under the right circumstances, remain on duty long after the normal expectation of service," he said. [/QUOTE] Source with some pictures: [url]http://news.discovery.com/history/preserved-brain-bog-england-110406.html[/url]
[IMG]http://news.discovery.com/archaeology/2011/04/06/brain-278.jpg[/IMG] ew
looks like a brownie topped with slimy elephant shit
Things like this are so mind-blowing. It's so incredibly strange - even somewhat eerie - to think that all those years ago a man was killed without the smallest thought of his remains ever being found after so long. Thinking of his perspective of it, I doubt he even had a clue that his remains would be uncovered thousands of years later.
As a scientist I would be more excited studying the preservation technique than the brain.
[QUOTE=I Am A Rock;37287129]As a scientist I would be more excited studying the preservation technique than the brain.[/QUOTE] They are studying the preservation technique.
Attach it to a robot Instant reality TV show material Or we could use this to learn more about preserving brains and about people 2700 years ago. but fuck that, I want Iron Age Robo-Brit to fight the Kardashians
[QUOTE=cdr248;37286892][IMG]http://news.discovery.com/archaeology/2011/04/06/brain-278.jpg[/IMG] ew[/QUOTE] Is it still on?
[QUOTE=I Am A Rock;37287129]As a scientist I would be more excited studying the preservation technique than the brain.[/QUOTE] I assume you're talking about how it was preserved so well in the bog? Because if so, saying "preservation technique" implies that humans preserved the brain, which isn't the case. Also, does it not say the brain was so well preserved due to the fact it was in an oxygenless environment, and as the brain is made up of different tissues, it preserved better than a soft body would?
They believe the man was hanged and/or decapitated with a knife of sorts. Pretty interesting.
[QUOTE=Gekkosan;37287375]They believe the man was hanged and decapitated with a knife of sorts. Pretty interesting.[/QUOTE] Man, it must suck being hung and then decapitated. I mean, you're pretty frustrated when you've been hung but to make it worse they decapitate you too. Thats gotta be like the worst day. [editline]17th August 2012[/editline] Bad head day
I'm pretty sure i've read and seen this brain somewhere...
[QUOTE=Joakim Lindb;37287437]I'm pretty sure i've read and seen this brain somewhere...[/QUOTE] I've never managed to read brain before, did you use like Rosettastone or something?
by bog I thought they meant they found an ancient human brain in a toilet
they should put it back in and take it out when we have technology to read brains and export data to SQL tables.
[QUOTE=I Am A Rock;37287129]As a scientist I would be more excited studying the preservation technique than the brain.[/QUOTE] Thats easy, human remains preserve really well in bogs seeing as theres little to no decompostition due to the conditions of the bog. Basically it tans the remains instead of rotting it. Which is why all the bodies they've found in bogs look like leather sofas.
Now to find the killer.
[QUOTE=I Am A Rock;37287129]As a scientist I would be more excited studying the preservation technique than the brain.[/QUOTE] Psh, preservation technique. I want to cut this sucker into sections and have each node and lobe analyse and compared. -orgasm-
[QUOTE=marcin1337;37287498]they should put it back in and take it out when we have technology to read brains and export data to SQL tables.[/QUOTE] I wonder what the rows would be named...
imo they should just store it for when we might have the technology to get anything useful for it. it's possible the future we may be able to understand more about it, and if scientists messed around with it now they may destroy useful information.
They found butter in Ireland preserved in a bog, turned out to be like 5 thousand years old. [editline]17th August 2012[/editline] Well matured, lovely on a bit of toast.
Bogs are the fountain of youth
[QUOTE=Joakim Lindb;37287437]I'm pretty sure i've read and seen this brain somewhere...[/QUOTE] Yeah, I'm 100% sure I've seen that exact picture before. EDIT: Oh, right, it's from 2011.
It looks like an old taco.
[QUOTE=marcin1337;37287498]they should put it back in and take it out when we have technology to read brains and export data to SQL tables.[/QUOTE]Well-preserved in archaeological terms just means there's still recognizable soft tissue; the brain is still too decayed for any sort of hypothetical future reading of data.
Sweet fine here. I'm not normally interested in the least regarding biology, but it's incredibly fascinating how things like this get preserved out of pure chance.[QUOTE=Last or First;37287153]Attach it to a robot Instant reality TV show material [/QUOTE] [img]http://fallout.neoseeker.com/w/i/fallout/thumb/d/d7/Robobrain.png/280px-Robobrain.png[/img]
[QUOTE=cdr248;37286892][IMG]http://news.discovery.com/archaeology/2011/04/06/brain-278.jpg[/IMG] ew[/QUOTE] Looks delicious.
[QUOTE=Sgt Doom;37288858]Well-preserved in archaeological terms just means there's still recognizable soft tissue; the brain is still too decayed for any sort of hypothetical future reading of data.[/QUOTE] I guessed this too, but they don't provide micrographs of the tissue.
[QUOTE=cdr248;37286892][IMG]http://news.discovery.com/archaeology/2011/04/06/brain-278.jpg[/IMG] ew[/QUOTE] Looks great. Especially if you know that the intestines and the brain are the parts that rot the easiest.
[QUOTE=RainbowStalin;37287513]Thats easy, human remains preserve really well in bogs seeing as theres little to no decompostition due to the conditions of the bog. Basically it tans the remains instead of rotting it. Which is why all the bodies they've found in bogs look like leather sofas.[/QUOTE] i would like to see this leather sofa you speak of but it's pretty amazing that that brain is in that condition considering decapitation
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