ZAP // Karashyanova, N. et al. / Journal of Archaeological Science; Martin Falbison / Wikimedia
The healing of the wounds indicates that the young man still lived for some time after being attacked by a lion, a species that once lived in the Balkans.
Archaeologists in Bulgaria have found the remains of a young man who survived a brutal lion attack 6000 years ago.
According to what was published in Journal of Archaeological Science: Reportsthe remains, found in a necropolis near the fifth-millennium BC archaeological site of Kozareva Mogila in eastern Bulgaria, reveal extensive skull trauma and on limbs that match the bite pattern of a prehistoric lion.
The victim, who is esteemed be between 18 and 25 years old At the time of his death, he had a series of serious injuries, unlike anything that had ever been seen at the scene. After comparing the damage to the teeth of several carnivores, the researchers concluded that the wounds most accurately correspond to the upper scavenger teeth of a lion.
The analysis indicates that the young man was probably dropped and bitten repeatedly during the attack, reports .
Although lions are absent from the region today, the species once inhabited the Balkans. Favorable climatic conditions allowed them to expand into southeastern Europe from about 8000 years agopersisting during the Neolithic and until the Iron Age.
A how the young man found the predator remains unknown. You may have come across a lion by accident, been the target of an attack because it is vulnerable prey, or been injured during a hunting attempt.
The extent of his injuries paints a grim picture. A large opening in your skull suggests severe neurological damageand their mutilated arms and legs probably made walking and basic tasks very difficult.
However, signs of healing in many of the wounds indicate that the young man survived for a significant period after the attack. Researchers believe this prolonged survival was only possible because their community provided continued care.
Skeletons found near the archaeological site show evidence of cranial surgery, probably trepanation, suggesting that the local Eneolithic population had considerable medical knowledge.
However, the injured man does not appear to have undergone such a procedure and the authors believe rather that community members may have used available methods of pain relief and infection prevention to aid his recovery.
