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(Image credit: Veselin Danov)
Around 6,200 years earlier, a teenage young boy made it through a ruthless lion attack in what is now Bulgaria– although deep holes in the child’s skull recommend his brain was severely harmed, a brand-new research study discovers.
The 16-to-18-year-old might have been searching when he came across the lion (Panthera leoaccording to the research study, which was released Nov. 30 in the Journal of Archaeological Science: ReportsLions strolled what is now Eastern Europe in the Copper Age(4500 to 3500 B.C.and cut marks on lion bones from ancient settlements on the Black Sea coast recommend people sometimes consumed them.
“The skull shows a specific pattern of puncture and compressive injuries that are inconsistent with human-made weapons or postmortem damage,” research study lead author Nadezhda Karastoyanovaan archaeozoologist at the National Museum of Natural History of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (NMNH-BAS), informed Live Science in an e-mail. “The size, shape, depth, and spacing of the defects are compatible with trauma produced by the bite of a very large carnivore.”
To exercise which predator was accountable for the attack, the scientists taken a look at different skulls in the NMNH-BAS collection, consisting of lion and bear skulls. Utilizing an unique moulding procedure, they compared various tooth imprints to those discovered on the teen’s skull. The group likewise thought about the circulation of big predators throughout the Copper Age and discovered the most likely offender was a lion.
Ancient proof of lion attacks on human beings is very unusual, however what makes this case a lot more extraordinary is that the teen made it through the preliminary injury, Karastoyanova stated. There are clear indications of recovery on the child’s skull, recommending he got treatment after the attack. The phase of recovery is not really sophisticated– just 2 or 3 months along– so it appears the teen gave in to his injuries.
The lion attack most likely left the teen with extreme brain injuries.
( Image credit: Karastoyanova et al.( 2025 ), Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports; CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 )One injury in specific appears like it might have harmed the teen’s meninges– the membranes that line the within the skull– leaving the stability of his brain in a “questionable” state, according to the research study.
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The child’s legs and left arm likewise sustained deep injuries, perhaps harming his muscles and tendon accessories, Karastoyanova stated. “Because the individual was seriously impaired as a result of these injuries, yet survived for a considerable period, it is highly likely that they received care and assistance from others in the community,” she stated.
The teen was buried near an ancient settlement called Kozareva Mogila, or “Goat Mound,” in eastern Bulgaria. Previous discoveries show that the occupants of Kozareva Mogila attempted to deal with illness and carried out surgical treatments on the skulls of living and dead people. This recommends they had some level of medical understanding that might have assisted the teen make it through after the attack.
The child most likely maintained deep scars on his head, arms and legs that altered his look significantly, according to the research study. He most likely required assistance for daily motions, implying he could not do physical labor such as farmingand his neurological functions might have been badly impaired.
Archaeologists discovered the teen buried in a bent position with his hands in front of his face. Measurements show he had to do with 5 feet, 9 inches (175 centimeters) high. No tomb items were discovered beside his skeleton, and his burial was deep compared to others at Kozareva Mogila, recommending he had a low social status and was feared by his neighborhood after the attack.
“His individual life experience, possible intimidating behaviour and appearance could have made him an extraordinary and dangerous dead [person], demanding deeper deposition,” the scientists composed in the research study.
Sascha is a U.K.-based personnel author at Live Science. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Southampton in England and a master’s degree in science interaction from Imperial College London. Her work has actually appeared in The Guardian and the health site Zoe. Composing, she delights in playing tennis, bread-making and searching pre-owned stores for concealed gems.
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