A human skull found in Papua New Guinea in 1929 came from someone killed in a tsunami some 6,000 years ago, experts say. The conclusion comes after examination of the sediments where the skull was buried.
Image: Reuters/Arthur Durband/The Field Museum
Advertisement
A 6,000-year-old skull discovered near the coast of Papua New Guinea some 90 years ago is likely to be that of the first person known to have died in a tsunami, experts said on Thursday.
The experts base their conclusions on a new analysis of the area in which the skull was found, where the sediment displayed characteristics typically discovered after a tsunami has hit.
The partial skull, known as the Aitape Skull, was discovered in 1929 by Australian geologist Paul Hossfeld 12 kilometers (seven miles) inland from Papua New Guinea's northern coast. It was originally considered to be at least 140,000 years old, but more recent carbon dating has suggested it is closer to 6,000 years old, making it a member of our own species — homo sapiens.
Tsunamis a 'significant influence' throughout history
An international team led by the University of New South Wales in Australia discovered that a tsunami probably hit the site of the find around the time the person was alive.
"We have discovered that the place where the Aitape Skull was unearthed was a coastal lagoon that was inundated by a large tsunami about 6,000 years ago," said study author James Goff, a scientist at the university.
Tsunamis in the region have caused death and destruction through the agesImage: Getty Images/P.M. Bonafede/U.S. Navy
"It was similar to the one that struck nearby with such devastating effect in 1998, killing more than 2,000 people," he said, adding: "We conclude that this person who died there so long ago is probably the oldest-known tsunami victim in the world."
He said the individual was probably either killed directly by the tsunami, or buried shortly before it hit.
The researchers said it was possible that the skull was found on its own, without any other bones, because crocodiles had eaten the body, as occurred with tsunami victims following the 1998 tsunami in the same area.
The study said research had shown that tsunamis had hit repeatedly in the Pacific region throughout history and prehistory, causing death, abandonment of settlements, disruption to trade and even conflict.
On average, some 10,000 people die in earthquakes around the world annually. The temblors have often provoked tsunamis and wider devastation. DW takes a look at some of the most powerful earthquakes of the last century.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Barret
Most powerful earthquake ever recorded
The most powerful earthquake ever recorded hit Chile's coast in May 1960. The quake, 9.5 on the Richter scale, lasted almost 10 minutes, resulting in massive infrastructure damage. Around 5,700 people were killed in Chile while the resulting tsunami left 130 people dead in Japan and another 61 in Hawaii. This picture shows the remains of Corral harbor in Chile's Valdivia province.
Image: Getty Images/AFP
Good Friday earthquake
The 1964 Alaskan earthquake, also known as the Great Alaskan earthquake and Good Friday earthquake, remains the strongest earthquake to hit the US to date. It occured on Good Friday, March 27, across south-central Alaska. The quake and the following tsunamis caused about 139 deaths. The picture above is from a small fishing village on Kodiak Island and it shows debris from houses and boats.
Image: Getty Images/Central Press
Most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Japan
A team member from Japan's Rescue Dog Association and his dog search for victims. Northeastern Japan was struck by a devastating earthquake, measuring 9.1 on the moment magnitude scale, followed by a massive tsunami. The natural disasters claimed almost 18,500 lives, and crippled the Fukushima nuclear power plant, in what is considered the world's worst nuclear power disaster since Chernobyl.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/Y. Chiba
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The undersea megathrust earthquake, magnitude 9.1, triggered a series of devastating tsunamis, killing some 280,000 people in 14 different countries and inundating coastal communities with waves up to a 100 feet. It was one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history.
Image: Getty Images/P.M. Bonafede/U.S. Navy
Kamchatka earthquake
A megathrust earthquake occurred off the coast of Kamchatka Peninsula in eastern Russia on November 4, 1952. The 9.0 magnitude quake caused a tsunami leading to widespread destruction and loss of life around the Kamchatka peninsula and the Kuril Islands. More than 2,300 people were killed.
2010 Chile earthquake
An 8.8 magnitude earthquake occurred off the coast of central Chile in February 2010. It triggered a tsunami which devastated several coastal towns in south-central Chile and damaged the port at Talcahuano. The quake and the following tsunami resulted in the deaths of around 450 people, while damage to the local fisheries' business was estimated at 66.7 million US dollars.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/M. Bernetti
China 1976 quake
An abandoned railway coach in Tangshan, China after an earthquake devastated the industrial town on July 28, 1976. The quake, measured at 7.4, struck near the industrial city in northeastern Hebei province. The official death toll is given as 242,000 but is believed to be significantly higher. Some estimates put the deathtoll at around 500,000.
Image: Getty Images/Keystone/Hulton Archive
1920 Haiyuan earthquake
The earthquake, measured at 8.3, occurred in the Haiyuan county of the northern province of Ningxia and caused aftershocks for almost three years. As a result, up to 235,000 people died immediately. Many more, who were living in camps due to the continuing aftershocks, perished later due to severe winter conditions.
Image: Getty Images/AFP
2010 Haiti earthquake
A man walks amid the rubble of a destroyed building in Port-au-Prince following the devastating earthquake that rocked Haiti on January 12, 2010. With a magnitude of 7.0, the quake destroyed thousands of buildings and left at least 200,000 people dead.
