Exceptionally Preserved 2,600-Year-Old Brain Found

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Exceptionally Preserved 2,600-Year-Old Brain Found

Posted by Soulskill on Friday August 17, 2012 @02:10AM from the fire-that-bad-boy-up dept.

TrueSatan writes with this quote from Discovery News: "A human skull dated to about 2,684 years ago with an 'exceptionally preserved' human brain still inside of it was recently discovered in a waterlogged U.K. pit, according to a new Journal of Archaeological Science study. The brain is the oldest known intact human brain from Europe and Asia, according to the authors, who also believe it's one of the best-preserved ancient brains in the world (PDF). 'The early Iron Age skull belonged to a man, probably in his thirties,' according to lead author Sonia O'Connor. 'Cause of death is rarely possible to determine in archaeological remains, but in this case, damage to the neck vertebrae is consistent with a hanging.'"

27 of 167 comments (clear)

Min score:

Reason:

Sort:

Intact human brain? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-17 02:11 · Score: 5, Funny

"The brain is the oldest known intact human brain from Europe and Asia" – So I take it the brain still works?
1. Re:Intact human brain? by paiute · 2012-08-17 02:29 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Maybe after they transplant the brain in a brainless body, we'll find out why he was hanged in his time.
  Starring Christopher Lee and Vincent Price.
  
  --
  If Slashdot were chemistry it would look like this:Cadaverine
2. Re:Intact human brain? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-17 02:43 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Quick, someone send it to the Houses of Parliament! An intact brain there will revolutionise our system of government!
3. Re:Intact human brain? by readin · 2012-08-17 03:12 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  Something that occasionally bothers me is the question of how much a brain works after it is dead. We don't really understand consciousness so we don't know how much of the brain is responsible for it. In fact the only way we know (suspect?) our fellow humans are conscious is they tell us - ok I'm wondering in to Turing test territory which isn't where I want to go.
  
  Suppose we were to hit this old intact brain with a jolt of electricity - would it feel it? Would it be conscious at some level for a brief moment but completely unable to inform us? Would it suffer a brief horrible dream? It makes me feel like I want to have my brain completely obliterated somehow when I die so I can be sure there is nothing left that is capable of suffering.
  
  --
  I often don't like the choices people make, but I like the fact that people make choices. That's why I'm a conservative.
4. Re:Intact human brain? by wonkey_monkey · 2012-08-17 03:16 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  If that doesn't scream mid-season replacement, I don't know what does!
  
  --
  systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
5. Re:Intact human brain? by ackthpt · 2012-08-17 03:16 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  "The brain is the oldest known intact human brain from Europe and Asia" – So I take it the brain still works?
  The card reads Abby Normal. Should be OK, what could go wrong?
  
  --
  
  A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
6. Re:Intact human brain? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-17 03:24 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Abby somebody.
7. Re:Intact human brain? by Crudely_Indecent · 2012-08-17 03:25 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  We know that he didn't weigh the same as a duck - those people were burned.
  
  --
  
  "Lame" - Galaxar
8. Re:Intact human brain? by schlachter · 2012-08-17 03:36 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  The brain being intact at a gross level doesn't mean that it's intact at a cellular level...so I doubt the network topology of the brain is still in place. Besides, the brain has state which decays without active maintenance, so network topology alone is not sufficient.
  
  --
  My God can beat up your God. Just kidding...don't take offense. I know there's no God.
9. Re:Intact human brain? by Minwee · 2012-08-17 03:38 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Not only does it work, it is setting educational policy in Kentucky.
10. Re:Intact human brain? by cpu6502 · 2012-08-17 04:20 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  >>>Suppose we were to hit this old intact brain with a jolt of electricity - would it feel it? Would it be conscious at some level for a brief moment but completely unable to inform us?
  The neurons disconnect from one another when they die. When you hold a dead brain, you are holding a blank slate. Which is why freezing people after they die is pointless. Even if you could revive the body, the brain has nothing in it. (No memory; the person would be a vegetable.)
  
  --
  My AC stalker: " I personally agree with your posts most of the time, but that won't keep me from modding you troll"
11. Re:Intact human brain? by cpu6502 · 2012-08-17 04:27 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  >>>>>Maybe after they transplant the brain in a brainless body, we'll find out why he was hanged in his time.
  >>
  >>Convicted of a crime he didn't commit, of course...
  Good luck trying to understand his ancient Celtic language when he speaks. I can just imagine a bunch of language professors mumbling, "I don't know what he's saying. He's not pronouncing the words properly. It sounds like Hillbilly Celtic."
  
  --
  My AC stalker: " I personally agree with your posts most of the time, but that won't keep me from modding you troll"
12. Re:Intact human brain? by icebike · 2012-08-17 05:26 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  After a shot to your heart your brain is still intact, but will soon cease working.
  "Will soon cease working" != "Doesn't work".
  Guess why it will stop working? Because it will cease being intact (due to missing oxygen).
  Obligatory car analogy:
  My engine is no longer intact because I ran out of fuel?
  
  --
  Sig Battery depleted. Reverting to safe mode.
2,684 years ago??? by al3 · 2012-08-17 02:14 · Score: 5, Funny

But it's only 2012!
1. Re:2,684 years ago??? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-17 02:17 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Earth is 6000 years old, you silly.
2. Re:2,684 years ago??? by ccguy · 2012-08-17 02:21 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  But it's only 2012!
  I'll use an analogy to explain how this is possible. Imagine a game that is set in medieval times in which you are exploring castles 500 years old. The game is new, but the castles in it were old right from the start.
  
  God played the same trick with us. The universe is 6000 years old, but when it was created (when he inserted the CD, if it makes you feel more comfy) it already had extinct species, people that had been dead for a few centuries and so on.
  Clear now?
3. Re:2,684 years ago??? by PCM2 · 2012-08-17 03:43 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  It might only be 2012, but here's an article about this same brain from 2011, and it was actually discovered in 2008. "Old news," indeed.
  
  --
  Breakfast served all day!
Re:Roughly 2684 years old? by ciderbrew · 2012-08-17 02:15 · Score: 5, Funny

Around the time he was hanged.
Zombie Apocalypse... by 25or6to4 · 2012-08-17 02:16 · Score: 5, Funny

Apparently the zombie apocalypse will last longer than expected if their food source stays preserved for 2000 years!
Re:Roughly 2684 years old? by metalmaster · 2012-08-17 02:23 · Score: 3, Funny

they couldnt get a good liver temp
Sounds like... by Anonymous+Codger · 2012-08-17 02:38 · Score: 4, Funny

...it's in better shape than mine.

--
No sig? Sigh...
"a waterlogged U.K. pit" by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-17 02:51 · Score: 5, Funny

Oh come on. Why not just say London.
Take your pick by Dareth · 2012-08-17 03:05 · Score: 3, Funny

Take your pick:
A: He chiseled state secrets on a cave wall.
B: He had consensual group sex with one of his students.
C: Headbutted his wife, star of a campfire reality show.
D: Was really Cowboy Neal using his new time machine.

--

I only look human.
My mother is a halfling and my dad is an ogre, so that makes me an Ogreling
Re:that explains everything by cusco · 2012-08-17 03:13 · Score: 4, Informative

Actually there are quite a number (hundreds) of preserved corpses of people that were hanged from this period which have been recovered from bogs in northern Europe. The tannins in bog water preserve the skin quite well, in several cases police were called first because the discoverers thought it was a recent murder. Some of them still have the rope around their neck. This site was probably anoxic as well if the soft tissues were also preserved. A quick search on "bog bodies" will bring up a plethora of information.

--
"Think about how stupid the average person is. Now, realise that half of them are dumber than that." - George Carlin
Re:Why is 3000 year old brain is a big deal? by geekoid · 2012-08-17 03:41 · Score: 3, Insightful

Oh, For the love of Jean-Martin Charcot, never compare the brain to a computer in that way.
"and we don't have that ability for human brains"
Stop it, jsut STOP! gah.
Shape, size, topology, chemical makeup all have meaningful information, even if we can't get to the memories.

--
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
Re:Abby Someone's Brain by geekoid · 2012-08-17 03:42 · Score: 4, Interesting

He might be unfit for THAT society. Most modern civilized people would be considered unfit in a lot of societies 3000 years ago.

--
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
Re:"about"??? by Hillgiant · 2012-08-17 04:04 · Score: 3, Funny

".. dated to about 2,684 years ago"
Saying that it happened about 2684 years ago implies (at least to me) that they can date it between precisely 2683 and 2685 years. Does it not strike anyone else as odd that they could pinpoint something that long ago so precisely?
It is a much rounder number in metric.

--
-