Cracking a Stone Age ‘Cold Case’ Dating Back 5,000 Years
Archaeologists have investigated a Ukrainian site that might lend itself to a police procedural show — perhaps named CSI: Stone Age.
The site near Kosenivka embodies mystery on many levels. Although an estimated 15,000 Neolithic people living in what is now Eastern Europe about 5,000 years ago, there are relatively few human remains. And when they have been found — like the 50 fragments in one house at the Kosenivka site — how the inhabitants died remains unknown.
Researchers have now presented a report that tries to solve the mystery of their demise, as well as shed some light on how they lived, in a PLOS ONE report.
Investigating a Neolithic Mystery
Kosenivka, selection of oral and pathological conditions. A–E: Individual 5/6/+left maxilla. A: Teeth positions 23–26 (buccal view). Signs of periodontal inflammation (upper arrows) and examples of dental calculus accumulation (third arrow) and dental chipping (lower arrow) on the first premolar (tooth 24). B: First premolar (24, mesial view). Interproximal grooving with horizonal striations on the lingual surface of the root (upper arrow) and at the cemento–enamel junction (middle arrow). Larger chipping lesion (lower arrow). C: Canine (23, distal view). Interproximal grooving, same location as on the neighbouring premolar (see B), but less distinct. D, E: Signs of periosteal reaction on the left maxillary sinus (medio–superior view). Increased vessel impressions (D, upper arrow) and porosity, as well as uneven bone surface (D, lower arrow, E), indicating inflammatory processes. F: Individual 2, left temporal, fragment (endocranial view). Periosteal reaction indicated by porous new bone formation (arrow). G: Individual 5, frontal bone (endocranial view). Periosteal reaction indicated by tongue-like new bone formation and increased vessel impressions (arrows). H: Individual 5/6/+, frontal bone, right part, orbital roof (inferior view). Signs of cribra orbitalia (evidenced by porosity, see arrow). Illustration: K. Fuchs. (Credit: Fuchs et al., 2024, PLOS ONE, CC-BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/))
The team focused on where the remains of at least seven stone age people were found. The remains of four were heavily burnt. However, they don’t know why. Was it arson? An accident? Or a form of ritual burial?
As the team of archeologists led by Johannes Müller at the Institute of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Archaeology, at Kiel University, Germany, took a closer look, the plot thickened. The skulls of two inhabitants showed signs of injury, hinting that violence may have been a factor in their demise. And radiocarbon dating indicated that one resident died about 100 years after the others.
A broader review of human bone from the area showed that residents were rarely cremated and were even less likely to be buried in their homes. By analyzing bone fragments from the house’s residence, they concluded that the inhabitants likely died of carbon monoxide poisoning and burned afterward.
“It must be assumed that the dwelling was burned by an accidental fire, which killed the people,” said the authors in the paper.
Read More: What Was the Neolithic Revolution, and How Did It Change Human Societies?
Domestic Bliss?
Both bones and archeological evidence showed not just how these people died, but how they lived. The chemical contents of the bones indicated that meat made up only about 10 percent of their diet. Wear marks on teeth found in the village showed wear marks consistent with chewing on grains and plant fiber. Although they found some cattle bones, the researchers think the bovines provided more milk and manure than meat.
The layout of the house also provides more details of domesticity. They found what appears to be a kiln, as well as several tools likely used for cooking. The placement of these objects suggests that the residents used different parts of the dwelling for specialized tasks.
“We provide an exceptional insight into the lives — and perhaps also the deaths — of these people,” Katharina Fuchs, an archeologist from Kiel University in Germany and an author of the paper, said in a press release.
Read More: Humans Shaped Ancient History Across 3 Ages: The Stone, Bronze, and Iron Age
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Before joining Discover Magazine, Paul Smaglik spent over 20 years as a science journalist, specializing in U.S. life science policy and global scientific career issues. He began his career in newspapers, but switched to scientific magazines. His work has appeared in publications including Science News, Science, Nature, and Scientific American.