Mystery Arkansas finally solved after 40 years of hundreds of human skulls found in

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Daily Express US

Mystery Arkansas finally solved after 40 years of hundreds of human skulls found in

Story by Ian Randall • 10h ago

Amystery surrounding a large pit of 700-year-old human skulls unearthed in southwest Arkansas has finally been solved after four decades.

The remains belong to the ancestors of the Caddo Nation, and are not "trophies" from their vanquished foes.

This is the conclusion of a pair of researchers from the University of Arkansas, based on an analysis of lead and strontium isotope "fingerprints" in the teeth found among the remains.

Comparison with similar signatures in ancient animal teeth from several surrounding regions confirmed that the skulls belonged to local people.

Teeth can be used this way because the isotopes that end up in dental enamel are set early in life and vary in a way that reflects the underlying geology of the local environment.

The study was undertaken in collaboration with the Caddo Nation in Oklahoma - who, like archaeologists, had wanted to know if the skulls belonged to their ancestors or not. https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tripideas/mystery-of-hundreds-of-human-skulls-found-in-arkansas-finally-solved-after-40-years/ar-AA1cHlhV?ocid=winp1taskbar&cvid=34fe5795cc384004ae5f14da041d7033&ei=34