Normally, intentionally elongated or flattened skulls are associated with ancient Mesoamerican cultures. But this exquisite specimen, which dates back some 1,500 years, was recently found at a dig in Alsace, France.
The Reign of Terror refers to a period during the French Revolution after the First French Republic was established in which multiple massacres and public executions occurred in response to revolutionary fervor, anti-clerical sentiment, and frivolous accusations of treason by Maximilien Robespierre and his Committee of Public Safety.
During the Reign of Terror (June 1793 to July 1794) about 17,000 people were guillotined. Queen Marie Antoinette were executed at the guillotine in 1793.
Now, we can obviously follow the fashion line of this extravagant hairdo, but what if it was something other than their desire to look cool?
The skull was discovered during excavation of a necropolis containing 18 burials. It was discovered in a tomb belonging to a woman who clearly held a high status position in society as she was buried with a rich assortment of treasures including gold pins, a silver mirror, beads of glass and amber, a comb made from deer antler and a number of other goods.
KD: As far as I can see we have two things projected into our brain in the reporting articles:
- French archaeologists made a surprising discovery during an excavation, when they uncovered a substantially elongated skull dating back 1,500 years . The finding prompted the archaeologists to extend their search over 7.5 acres, which resulted in the discovery of an abundance of artefacts, human and animal remains from Neolithic, Gallic, Gallo-Roman, and Merovingian societies.
- French Archaeologists Discover Beautifully Preserved Deformed Skull
- Archaeologists Discover Mysterious Elongated Skulls in France
During the Reign of Terror (June 1793 to July 1794) about 17,000 people were guillotined. Queen Marie Antoinette were executed at the guillotine in 1793.
Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette was guillotined at 12:15 p.m. on 16 October 1793. Her last words are recorded as, "Pardon me, sir, I did not do it on purpose", after accidentally stepping on her executioner's shoe. Her head was one of which Marie Tussaud was employed to make death masks. Her body was thrown into an unmarked grave in the Madeleine cemetery located close by in rue d'Anjou. Because its capacity was exhausted the cemetery was closed the following year, on 25 March 1794.Now, we can obviously follow the fashion line of this extravagant hairdo, but what if it was something other than their desire to look cool?
The skull was discovered during excavation of a necropolis containing 18 burials. It was discovered in a tomb belonging to a woman who clearly held a high status position in society as she was buried with a rich assortment of treasures including gold pins, a silver mirror, beads of glass and amber, a comb made from deer antler and a number of other goods.
KD: As far as I can see we have two things projected into our brain in the reporting articles:
- intentionally elongated skulls
- dating back 1,500 years (dating how?)
- natural elongated skulls
- dating back 225 years