Remains Reveal Earliest Evidence of Human-on Human Violence in Asia

A recent study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences has revealed unprecedented details of the earliest-documented conflict of human-on-human violence in Southeast Asia.

Researchers discovered a terrifically well-preserved corpse of a 12,000-year-old male skeleton in Thung Binh 1 cave, which is located within the limestone karst of the UNESCO World Heritage Tràng An region. The excavation, led by Christopher Stimpson of the Natural History Museum London, found that the deceased was a 35-year-old man, called TBH1 by officials, who was killed when a quartz-tipped projectile impaled him through the neck, leading to a deadly infection. Pre-dating similar discoveries in the area by millenia, researchers contend that this is the earliest-known evidence of human-on-human conflict in mainland Southeast Asia.

Though the victim clearly died during violent conflict, he was found buried in a fetal position which suggests deliberate placement and respect for internment by his community. TBH1’s placement within his burial suggests that he was a respected member of the community, while further evidence shows that the community shared caring duties for the injured man during the final months of his life as he battled the infection from the arrow wound. 

TBH1 also bears a defining characteristic which sets him apart from the Terminal Pleistocene people, as he possesses 25 ribs as opposed to the 24 which modern humans typically have. This extra rib, located up near the neck, showed significant signs of infection to such a degree that a drainage cloaca was developed to allow infected material to drain out of the body.