Archaeologists Baffled to Discover an Ancient Skeleton of a ‘Birdman’ Shaman Wearing a Costume Made of Beaks

Several civilizations in the past had unique practices. Findings from history bring these practices to light. A discovery in Siberia has given researchers certain insights regarding the Odinov culture, Daily Mail stated. The detection was announced in 2019.

Archaeologists unearthed the skeleton of an ancient man from a grave at the Ust-Tartas archaeological site in the Novosibirsk region. The five-millennium-old remains stood out from others because of the costume in which he was laid to rest. The costume contained a multitude of beaks. Researchers believe that the man possibly functioned as a shaman in the Odinov culture, which was widespread in Western Siberia.

Researchers noted that the beaks were attached to the neck portion of the costume. "The beaks were assembled at the back of the skull, along the neck, as if it was a collar that protected the owner when he lived here," Researcher Lilia Kobeleva of the Novosibirsk Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography shared. In total, there were around 30 to 50 beaks on the costume. Experts think the beaks were incorporated into a headdress or armor, that was used during rituals by the community. 

Initial examinations revealed that the beaks belonged to birds like cranes and herons. Scientists have yet to figure out how these beaks were put on the costume. “Some of the beaks are packed separately from skulls, without a trace of head bones,” Kobeleva said, Smithsonian Magazine stated. The team has not found any mounting holes in the beaks, that could have helped in its attachment to the fabric.

Another grave was excavated near the burial place of the 'birdman' which produced what researchers believed to be a pair of 5,000-year-old Bronze Age 'spectacles'. This nearby burial with the spectacles contained the remains of two children. Analysis showcased that the two children were between the ages of five to ten at the time of death. Just beneath the children was the skeleton of an adult man. 

The bronze spectacles found in this multi-layered grave featured two hemispheres and a bridge, Daily Mail stated. This artifact was placed beside the skull of the adult man. Experts also observed some organic matter inside the two hemispheres of the spectacles. Archaeologists speculate that the spectacle was part of a burial mask or some other headgear that was put on the man, while he was being laid to rest. Researchers believe that this man could have also been an ancient shaman.  The man's left arm and waist were surrounded by five polished crescent-shaped stone pendants.  "These are unique items (and) we are very excited indeed to have found them," said Ms Kobeleva.

The artifacts found in both graves made researchers claim that the men held important positions in the then-society. "I say so because we have been working on this site for a while and unearthed more than 30 burials. They all had interesting finds, but nothing we found earlier was as impressive as the discoveries in these two graves. We suppose both men were some kind of priest," Ms Kobeleva shared.