They believe the acrobat was an entertainer known as a hub, or hub ki, words associated with the idea of "always jumping about." Ancient seals depict such individuals with spiky hair and performing contortionist-type tricks. Oates and her colleagues identify the person as being such an ancient acrobat because his or her knee, tibia, arm and foot bones indicate the person was physically active, having executed jumps and turns "in a very disciplined way with feet pointed downwards during leaps, much as can be seen in some modern dancers." The scientists compared the skeleton with the anatomy of a modern dancer and found direct similarities. While they cannot yet tell exactly how the entertainer and the other two individuals were killed, it's likely that the acrobat participated in some kind of ritualistic performance that culminated in his or her own death by beheading. Aside from bringing this dramatic moment of early history back to life, the findings could reveal information about culture in what may have been the world's oldest city. Jason Ur, a Harvard University anthropologist, recently led a survey of Tell Brak. He believes it was part of a large city that may have predated Uruk, the world's oldest city. Uruk is thought to have been built by the Sumerian king Gilgamesh. "Ours is a largely urban society, and the nascent urbanization of Tell Brak tells us about the formation of the very first cities in the world," said Ur. Related Links: Jennifer Viegas' blog: Born Animal Discovery News blog: Archaeorama |
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