Mystery of 2500 Year-old Human Brain

This may be common in the world of archeology: found a human skeleton 2,500 years old in England. But surprisingly, in the skull found in the brain that are still intact.

Findings brownish yellow shrunken brain so the big question for scientists: how could the fragile organ could last thousands of years. Also, how often the preservation of unique events that occurred.

Moreover, except for parts of the brain, all soft tissue on the skull was missing when the framework was drawn from the Iron Age mud puddle, which happens to be the location of the complex expansion of the University of York in Heslington East.
"It is amazing, imagine, a person's brain who died thousands of years ago can survive in wetlands," said Sonia O'Connor, a researcher at the University of Bradford posdoktoral, such as sites loaded LiveScience.
O'Connor examines teams of scientists who reviewed the oldest brain condition that after the discovery in 2008.

"It's very surprising, if you talk to a pathologist who often deal with dead bodies. They would say, the first organ that will decompose and turn into liquid is the brain. Therefore, a high fat content."

The skull was allegedly belonged to a man aged 26 to 45 years in the two jaw bones and a broken neck - body of evidence was hanged and then beheaded. However, O'Connor continued, there was no indication why he was hanged. Residual bodies of the others has not been found.

For information, more than a decade ago, O'Connor was involved in the discovery of 25 brain preserved in the medieval era in England. However, no signs of skull in Heslington was intentionally preserved or made mummies.

Skull Heslington allegedly buried immediately in wetlands immediately after death. The lack of oxygen may prevent brain tissue decay. However, although oxygen free factor seems to be the key to this mystery, scientists could not possibly get rid of other factors such as illness or certain physiological changes - such as hunger - which may affect the preservation of the brain.

After a long submerged in a wet environment, the brain begin to change chemically Heslington, developed into a durable material and shrunk to a quarter of its original size. Currently, scientists are still investigating the details of the chemistry of the brain.

Allegedly, Heslington skull originated between the years 673 until 482 BC. While Roman is expected to arrive in the region in the year 71 AD. According to Richard Hall, director of archeology at York Archaeological Trust, in the past, the findings of the skull was estimated to an environment that is permanent, with water channels.

Archaeologists also found a ring that is believed the former thatched roofs, as well as features such as ponds that may be used for water storage, he said. Scientists can not yet reveal the purpose of the holes - in which the skull was found. Meanwhile, no other human remains have been found on the site.