As Old As Time

It was a most unusual find: a single, very well preserved body from about 30,000 years ago. Because of the desert-like conditions, the man’s hair, skin, tattoos and clothes were amazingly intact.

Renowned paleontologists Drs. Richard and Mona Davis had been for weeks uncovering and following the tracks of a clan apparently migrating to friendlier climes. All along the route fire pits, beads and food waste had been collected. The clear implication was of a group of families traveling together, probably for security from animals or rival clans.

Then they found this body.

The corpse was lying on his right side. After days of careful cleaning, the left side and back were exposed. This revealed a severe gash on the back about six inches below the neck.

Standing over the body, Dr. Richard Davis wondered aloud, “What could’ve happened? We found no signs of any other deaths. There are no indications of another tribe hunting anywhere near them. And we’ve seen neither paw prints nor scat from any predators, large or small.”

His wife, meanwhile, was photographing and scrutinizing the man’s injuries. “Come down here, Richard, and look closely at this trauma. What do you make of the way the spinal discs are crushed?”

Richard eased apart the torn edges of the leather coat and linen shirt, then very gently pulled back the skin.

“It reminds me,” he said, “of the type of damage done by these people’s own spears. Could this have been a murder? If so, who is to blame for this?”

Mona was now examining the head and neck for other evidence.

“I might just have your answer, dear.” She folded back the upper region of the linen shirt and there, where it protected the neck, was the pinkish outline of a pair of lips.