Mysterious 4,000-year-old ‘squatting’ skeleton discovered

The mysterious skeleton of a woman who died more than 4,000 years ago has been discovered in Germany.

The remains were uncovered during an excavation prior to the construction of wind turbines near the village of Bietikow in the German state of Brandenburg. Discovered by Philipp Roskoschinski of archaeological consulting company Archaeros and his deputy excavation director Christoph Rzegotta, the skeleton has been attracting plenty of attention.

“The woman lies in the so-called squatting position,” Dr. Christof Krauskopf of the Brandenburg Authorities for Heritage Management and Archaeological State Museum, told Fox News, via email. Resting on her right side, the woman’s head is pointing to the east, he explained, noting that the woman’s interment is familiar to archaeologists as a “contracted position” burial.

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The grave did not contain any artifacts that would help archaeologists date the burial, although experts believe that it is more than 4,000 years old. “The working hypothesis of the excavator is that the burial dates to the final phase of the Neolithic period, between 2500 and 2200 BC,” Krauskopf explained.

Nonetheless, aspects of the burial have surprised experts. “The burial is still somewhat strange,” Krauskopf said, noting that the burial pit is far too large for the woman’s remains.

At this stage, the woman’s age at the time of her death is still unknown. More research will be undertaken, such as radiocarbon dating, genetic testing and strontium isotope analysis of the woman’s teeth, which could reveal details of the environment she grew up in.