A B??nz? A?? ???i?l n??? L?k? B?ik?l int?i???s ??ch??l??ists wh? h?v? n?t ??t ??v??l?? c?nt?nts ?? ? l??th?? ???ch ???n? ??tw??n th? m?n’s kn??c??s. Ex???ts s??c?l?t? th?t this ?nci?nt c???l? ??? ?n ?l???l? m?n ?n? his wi?? ?? c?nc??in?, ???i?? ??? ?t??nit? in ? sh?w ?? ????cti?n. Th??? ??? s?m? ?ni??? ?s??cts t? th? c???l? wh? ??? ??li?v?? t? ?? ???m th? B??nz? A?? Gl?zk?v c?lt???.
Th? m?n’s sk?l?t?n h?? ? ?in? m??? ?? ???? whit? j??? ?v?? ?n? ??? s?ck?t. Th??? m??? w??? ?n his ch?st. A?ch??l??ist D? Dmit?? Kichi?in s?i?: ‘It w?s ??????l? s?m?h?w c?nn?ct?? with th?i? i???s ????t th? ??t??li??.’
S?m?l?s ?? th? ??n? ?? th? c???l? h?v? ???n s?nt t? C?n??? ??? ???i?c????n ?n?l?sis, ??t th? R?ssi?n t??m inv?lv?? in th? ?xc?v?ti?ns ??li?v? th? c???l? t? ?? 4,500 t? 5,000 ????s ?l?.
Th? m?n’s sk?l?t?n h?? ? ?in? m??? ?? ???? whit? j??? ?v?? ?n? ??? s?ck?t. Pict???: Dmit?? Kichi?in
‘In th? ???v? w? ???n? m?l? ?n? ??m?l? sk?l?t?ns, l?in? ?n th?i? ??cks, h???s t? th? w?st, h?n? in h?n?,’ h? s?i?. Th? sit? is ? s?c??? ???i?l ?l?c? sinc? N??lithic tim?s ?v??l??kin? th? w?t??s ?? L?k? B?ik?l, th? ?l??st ?n? ?????st l?k? in th? w??l?.
Th? m?l? sk?l?t?n is c?m?l?t? ??t ????nts ??st????? th? ????? ???t ?? th? ??m?l?. N??? th? w?m?n w?s ? ‘m?ssiv?’ kni?? m??? ?? j???, s?m? 50 c?ntim?t??s in l?n?th ?n? 30 cm in wi?th.
P?n??nts ?? ??? ???? ?n? m?sk ???? t??th w??? ???n? ?n th? m?l? sk?ll, ?n? ????n? th? ???t. M?st lik?l?, th?? ??c???t?? th? h?t ?n? ???tw???.
‘W??? th?? ??l?tiv?s, ?? ?n ?wn?? ?n? his c?nc??in??’ ?sk?? th? ??ch??l??ist. F?? n?w th? ?nsw?? is ?ncl???: h? w??l? lik? t? c?n??ct DNA t?sts t? ch?ck i? th? ??i? w??? ??l?t??, ??t this ??????s t? ?? t?? ?x??nsiv?.
Th? ???i?l ?n???th?? this s?mm?? is l?c?t?? ?t ? c??? ?n M?l?? M???, th? st??it th?t s?????t?s th? m?inl?n? ?n? th? Olkh?n isl?n?, cl?s? t? Ch??n???? s?ttl?m?nt, in s?m? 260 kil?m?t??s t? n??th-??st ?? I?k?tsk.
‘It w??l? ?? v??? int???stin? t? ?in? ??t th? ?????s?s th? m?ssiv? j??? kni??, which w? ???n? n??? th? w?m?n, w?s ?s?? ???. Pict???s: Dmit?? Kichi?in
Th? ???cis? l?c?ti?n is ??in? k??t s?c??t ??? n?w t? ?v?i? ?m?t??? ?i????s w??ckin? ? sit? which is lik?l? t? c?nt?in m??? ???i?ls, ??ssi?l? ?l??? th?n this ?n?.
‘W? w??? l?ck? t? ?in? ?t l??st ?n? sk?l?t?n in ?xc?ll?nt c?n?iti?n, with im?l?m?nts ?n? ??c???ti?ns – it is th? ????m ?? m?n? ??ch???l??ists,’ s?i? Kichi?in. ‘It w??l? ?? v??? int???stin? t? ?in? ??t th? ?????s?s th? m?ssiv? j??? kni??, which w? ???n? n??? th? w?m?n, w?s ?s?? ???.
‘W? ?ls? ???n? s?m? m?t?l im?l?m?nt in ? sm?ll l??th?? ??? ??tw??n m?l?’s kn??c??s.’ An?l?sis will ???in ?n th? ?in?s in th? ??t?mn.
‘Th? c???, wh??? w? c?n??ct?? ?xc?v?ti?ns, w?s ??vi??sl? ? s?c??? ?l?c? ??? ?nci?nt ????l?,’ h? s?i?. It w?s n?t ? s?ttl?m?nt ??t ?s?? ??? ??li?i??s ?it?s ?n? ?s ? ???v????? ???m ?nci?nt tim?s.
‘W? c?n ?x??ct ? l?t ?? int???stin? ?isc?v??i?s ?n this ??ch???l??ic?l sit?, s? w? ?l?n t? c?ntin?? ??? w??k n?xt ????.’
Th? ??ch???l??ic?l t??m l?? ?? D? Kichi??n is ???m I?k?tsk N?ti?n?l R?s???ch T?chnic?l Univ??sit?, with th? ?ssist?nc? ?? Y?li?n? Y?m?l??n?v?, ???m th? L?????t??? ?? A?ch??l???, P?l???c?l???, ?n? Li?? S?????t S?st?ms ?? th? P???l?s ?? N??th Asi?.