Fun facts from my zooarch days: if you shake a couple of these bones in your hands they sound like dice.

  • AbouBenAdhem@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Anyone know where the site is? The article says “Ainabulak, […] a village in the eastern part of the country”, but the only Ainabulak I can find is in western Kazakhstan.

    EDIT: The referenced Astana Times article puts the find in the Zaisan district, near the Altai and Tarbagatai ranges. Which I guess would put it near the eastern edge of the Andronovo culture.

  • acockworkorange
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    1 year ago

    It’s already kind of iffy to assume religious significance to a find, but to assume function within a ritual? Those bones could be her collection of pretty bones for all we know. That’s bad science journalism. I bet the archeologist got caught musing what could it mean and the writer simply cherry picked what they thought was most interesting.

    • theodewere@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      the writer simply cherry picked what they thought was most interesting

      seems like that’s a fair description of what all journalism ends up being, but most especially science journalism… i hate trying to sift through articles for actual information on finds like this…

    • fossilesqueOPM
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      1 year ago

      Listen, it’s not the size that counts, it’s the amount of bones. 🎺