Archaeologists have discovered the discovery of a young child's remains at a well-known national park, as reported a government report .
The unsettling find occurred inside Tham Din Cave located within Thailand’s Tham Pha Tup Forest Park. Researchers became aware of this site in 2020 after archaeologists spotted numerous prehistoric drawings adorning the cavern's interior walls. These depictions showed humans using sophisticated tools to hunt creatures like deer, suggesting that this area may have been among some of the very first inhabited spaces for early humans.
By 2022, the search had yielded an abundance of artifacts such as pottery, stone tools, and bones. An analysis determined that they were somewhere between 10,000 and 29,000 years old, confirming the theory that the cave was inhabited by prehistoric humans for thousands of years.
As the investigation moved to the cave floor, scientists discovered a well-preserved skeleton which appeared to have been buried with ritualistic elements, which indicated a sophisticated cultural practice. After further analysis from U.S.-based labs, which found the skeleton to be fairly well preserved, scientists determined the bones likely belonged to a child aged between six and eight. The body was found face up, lying amongst stones with red pigment covering its face. The presence of charcoal and ash around the body indicates to researchers that the child’s remains may have been smoked, or lightly charred, before the burial.
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"The belief is that the body underwent certain rituals, which may have included practices aimed at preventing it from being consumed by wildlife," said excavation leader KannikaPremaj. Bangkok Post . “We have learnt from the position and direction in which the body was placed that it was a ritual, meaning the community living here had their own culture and way of living.”
The remains , named Pangpod after a popular Taiwanese children’s TV character, illuminate a previously untold segment of history. The child’s fossil may provide insight as to how prehistoric humans in the Paleolithic era adapted to changes in their environment.
A representative from Thailand’s Fine Arts Department stated that 'The Din Cave site provides a distinctive view into history, chronicling the development of human civilizations across millennia,' Thai PBS World .
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