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Apr 6

Melting permafrost reveals bodies of ancient Mongolians and their diets, study says – AOL

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The excavation of an ancient cemetery in the mountains of northern Mongolia has shed light on the culture and diet of the early inhabitants in the region, according to a new study.

The cemetery is situated in the permafrost, perennially frozen ground, which allowed for the excellent preservation of human remains dating back to 1206 A.D., according to a study published on March 31 in the journal Communications Biology.

The area, known as the Khorig cemetery, has been excavated by archaeologists and scavenged by looters as the melting permafrost has exposed more and more of the site, researchers said.

The skeletal remains of numerous individuals were found alongside bits and pieces of leather, fur and silk, Alicia Ventresca Miller, the lead author of the study, told McClatchy News.

The discovery of opulent goods, such as a silk robe portraying a dragon, indicate aristocratic individuals in the Mongol Empire were buried at the site, researchers said.

The dragon on the robe with five claws is specifically something only used for the imperial family, and so its a bit strange that its that far north, Ventresca Miller said.

The capital of the Mongol Empire was the city of Karakorum, located hundreds of miles south of the cemetery, according to the journal Antiquity.

A gold Buddha figurine was also uncovered, suggesting Buddhism was a significant aspect of elite society in the Mongol Empire. Ventresca Miller was also surprised to see evidence of Buddhism so far north near the Russian border.

Dr. Ventresca Miller excavating a looted burial in Khuvsgul province, Mongolia.

But perhaps the most consequential finding came from analyzing the teeth of 11 buried individuals.

Their dental plaque was examined in a laboratory and various proteins were isolated, allowing researchers to determine what foods the individuals had consumed. Proteins associated with several animal products were found, including yak milk, which was a significant discovery.

This is the first time that yak dairy has been identified in the past - so it is currently the oldest known case of yak milk consumption, Ventresca Miller said.

Until now, little had been known about when early Mongol people domesticated yaks, a species of cattle native to Asia.

The finding helped us verify the long-term use of this iconic animal in the region and its ties to elite rulers, Ventresca Miller, an assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Michigan, said in a press release.

The Mongol Empire, founded by Genghis Khan, was the largest contiguous empire in the world, uniting Chinese, Islamic, Iranian, Central Asian, and nomadic cultures within an overarching Mongol sensibility, according to research from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The Khorig site was located at the northern edge of the empire, and its inhabitants likely traded yak dairy products, which would have been precious commodities, with other regions, researchers said.

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Originally published April 5, 2023, 11:43 AM

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Melting permafrost reveals bodies of ancient Mongolians and their diets, study says - AOL

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