Animals and plants are found in the Majoonsuo grave, a Finnish burial site where a young child lived 8,000 years ago

The burial site of a young child who lived 8,000 years ago has been discovered in Eastern Finland, providing a rare glimpse into how Stone Age humans treated their deceased.

The Majoonsuo grave first drew the attention of researchers in 1992 in the municipality of Outokumpu when bright red ocher, a clay rich in iron, was spotted on the surface of a new service trail in the forest. Red ocher has been associated with rock art as well as ornamentation and burials.

In September, a journal published an analysis on the surrounding soil, which revealed some of the secrets associated with the grave.

After an analysis, it was discovered that the kid’s teeth had been found in the grave, along with fragments of bird feathers, plant fibers and canine hair strands.

Seven of the feathers found were associated with ducks. The oldest feather fragments ever found are in the form of a feather. It’s possible that the child was wrapped in a parka or anorak and laid to rest on a bed of feathers.

A falcon’s feather was also found in the grave, thought to be part of an arrow likely once attached to an arrowhead, or used as decoration on the child’s clothing.

The hairs on the child’s feet were both dog and wolf. It’s possible that one was buried at the child’s feet, or the child was wearing shoes made from the fur of a dog or wolf.

The team behind the study stated in a statement that the Skateholm site in southern Sweden is known as a famous burial site and dates back some 7,000 years.

There are nothing but hairs left of animals in Majoonsuo, and the discovery is remarkable. We have no idea whether it is a dog or a wolf. The method used, demonstrates that traces of fur and feathers can be found even in graves several thousands of years old, including in Finland.”

Lead study author Tuija Kirkinen, a postdoctoral researcher in the University of Helsinki’s department of cultures, carried out the analysis of the plant- and animal-based materials within the soil.

The team collected 60 bags of soil samples and carefully separated organic matter from the soil using water. Three laboratories were used to search the samples for microparticles, fatty acids and carry out an analysis of the soil. The red soil had to be sieved and examined using high resolution images and electron microscopes.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/02/world/stone-age-child-burial-scn/index.html

Towards Understanding the Ancient History of Human and Animal Identities: Discovering Cutmarks on Cave Bears and Other Remaining Animals

She is part of the Animals Make Identities project. The research group studies “social links between humans and animals in hunter-gatherer burial sites” in Northeast Europe. These links can unlock more insights into the deceased, who lived between 7,500 and 9,000 years ago. Kirkinen’s work is focused on developing methods to search for the minute remnants that help share ancient stories.

Kirkinen also found plant fibers that likely came from willows or nettles, which may have been used to make fishing nets, cords used to attach clothing or string bundles. She had a protocol for searching for fibers and fragments in the soil that she used to get results.

She said that the work was really slow and that she had found minuscule fragments of past garments and grave furnishings inFinnish, where unburnt bones tend to decomposition.

“We have discovered numerous remains of other animals with cutmarks in Schöningen such as horses and aurochs, with cutmarks related to skinning. The benefits of bear skins for clothing include their high insulation and the elasticity of the hides that make them more suitable than other large herbivores.

“The study is significant because we know relatively little about how humans in the deep past were protecting themselves from the elements. According to the study author, there are only a few places in the world where bear skinning can be found, and Schningen is the most complete picture.

Cave bears were large animals, about the size of a polar bear, that went extinct about 25,000 years ago. A study published in the Journal of Human Evolution on December 23 stated that the cave bear’s coat was a good choice for simple clothing and bedding.

The skins that were wrapped around the body were probably not very fancy or tailor-made. The eyed needles needed to sew more intricate designs didn’t emerge in the archaeological record until about 45,000 years ago.

Verheijen explained that the cutmarks on elements of the hands and feet were from butchering the animal.

Climate at the Schningen site 300,000 years ago from lice migrating out of Africa in 1910–2040: the first known wooden weapon

The Schningen site in Germany is famous for the discovery of the oldest known wooden weapons, which were used 300,000 years ago to kill prey.

Genetic studies of lice indicate that clothing lice diverged from their human head louse ancestors at least 83,000 years ago and possibly as early as 170,000 years ago, which suggests humans were wearing clothes before major migrations out of Africa.

The climate of the site 300,000 years ago was similar to what it is today, with average temperatures 2 degrees warmer to 2 degrees colder.