Scratchings

This is one of 50 (50!) tortoise shells found in the burial site of a 45-year-old female shaman in Northern Israel.

The site, discovered by Dr. Leore Grosman and colleagues from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, is 12,000 years old, making it one of the oldest known shaman burials, and details are published in the journal PNAS this week.

As well as the 50 (50!) tortoise shells, the grave contained the pelvis of a leopard, the wing tip of a golden eagle, the tail of a cow, the forearm of a wild boar, and two marten skulls. And the foot of another human.

This is what our ancestors got up to. Excellent stuff.