A groundbreaking archaeological discovery in northern Vietnam has unveiled evidence suggesting the remains of an individual may represent South-East Asia’s earliest known homicide victim. Chris Stimpson, one of the lead authors of a recent article describing this finding, was integral to the research team. Caves in the area that is now the Tràng An Landscape Complex World Heritage Site, Ninh Binh Province, Vietnam.
During their research in 2017, Stimpson’s team stumbled upon a fascinating skeleton believed to be 12,000 years old. On a hot Tuesday morning, Linh Vũ, one of Stimpson’s co-workers, recently made the most exciting of finds. From the exquisitely preserved remains, she was able to unearth the right humerus — or upper arm bone.
“My colleague Linh was excavating in the trench,” Stimpson recalled. “Linh looked up and said, ‘Chris, I think I found something.’”
After extensive research, the team found the skeleton curled up in a fetal position, with its hands shielding its face. This unique burial style has taught archaeologists a plethora of information about the habits of the people who used to inhabit this area. Stimpson explained that this discovery provides a unique and amazing insight into the lives of those living at the site so many centuries ago.
Stimpson’s colleague, Alex Wilshaw, undertook the reconstruction and analysis of the remains, leading to significant findings regarding the circumstances surrounding the individual’s death. We can conclude that the man was killed by a projectile injury.
Stimpson added that the simplest explanation for the injury is that the man was hit by a dart or arrow. This missile remained embedded in his neck, causing sepsis that caused his death several weeks if not months later. If this theory is substantiated, it would be the earliest known case of interpersonal violence anywhere in South-East Asia.
“This is a very solid data point in terms of the physical make-up of people 12,000 years ago in this particular time and place,” said Stimpson. “Complete crania are incredibly rare in all of South-East Asia from this time period, so it provides very valuable information.”
The research team published their findings in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. In collaboration with colleagues in Europe, they successfully retrieved mitochondrial DNA from the remains to determine the man’s genetic lineage. The Aleutian man’s unique anatomy. The forensic analysis showed that he must have had a cervical rib, a rare anatomical feature found in only about one out of every 100 people. In addition, the rib had broken before and was healing.
Sofia Samper Carro, another researcher who worked on this study, told us about the importance of knowing how to recognize these ancient remains. She stated, “There hasn’t been as much research in areas like mainland and island South-East Asia aiming at prehistoric archaeological sites as in other parts of the world.”
Carro opened up the discussion to the larger policy implications of their results. “If the trauma and point are related,” she noted, “it is interesting to find evidence of deliberate trauma in a moment where there is other evidence of cultural transmission and migrations around the region.”
Stimpson flagged an interesting clue from the burial context. “We can infer from where he was buried and the manner in which he was buried that there were folks looking out for him as well,” he remarked. This archaeological observation provides insight into the social hierarchies and systems of communal care present among these early human populations.
This finding has generated buzz in the research community. It’s firing the imagination of anyone who cares about the past and future evolution of mankind’s culture. The remains provide an invaluable opportunity to understand both the darkest sides of human behavior—violence—and potentially its best aspects—community support and care.
