Frozen like Pompeii, Ujjain’s 42 twisted skeletons await answers
Archaeologists are revisiting a 1938 excavation site in Ujjain, India, where 42 mysterious skeletons were discovered in varied burial positions. Researchers hope to use modern DNA and radiocarbon dating to determine the origins and cultural identity of the remains.
Why it matters
Applying modern forensic science to historical archaeological sites can provide critical insights into ancient human migration and cultural practices in India.
BHOPAL: Face down. On their backs. Seated. Twisted. Legs raised and folded. Children and adults. Males and females. Some buried, others cremated.Imagine Pompeii without its volcano, bodies caught in curious positions, a vanished community leaving behind fragments of their final rites on a hillock in western Madhya Pradesh.At Kumhar Tekri in Ujjain, 42 skeletons unearthed nearly nine decades ago are waiting for answers.Who were these people? Why were they buried in such strikingly different positions? Were they from different communities?
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