August 26, 2021

Ancient woman's DNA provides first evidence for the origin of a mysterious lost culture: The Toaleans

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2021-08-29 06:30:04

August 26, 2021

by Adam Brumm, Adhi Oktaviana, Akin Duli, Basran Burhan, Cosimo Posth, Selina Carlhoff, The Conversation

In 2015, archaeologists from the University of Hasanuddin in Makassar, on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, uncovered the skeleton of a woman buried in a limestone cave. Studies revealed the person from Leang Panninge, or "Bat Cave," was 17 or 18 years old when she died some 7,200 years ago.

Her discoverers dubbed her Bessé' (pronounced "bur-sek")—a nickname bestowed on newborn princesses among the Bugis people who now live in southern Sulawesi. The name denotes the great esteem local archaeologists have for this ancient woman.

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