Oldest tsunami victim?

A 6,000-year-old skull found in Papua New Guinea is likely the world's oldest-known tsunami victim, experts said yesterday after a new analysis of the area it was found in. The partially preserved Aitape Skull was discovered in 1929 and long thought
PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

A 6,000-year-old skull found in Papua New Guinea is likely the world's oldest-known tsunami victim, experts said yesterday after a new analysis of the area it was found in. The partially preserved Aitape Skull was discovered in 1929 and long thought to belong to Homo erectus (upright man), an extinct species believed to be an ancestor of the modern human which died out some 140,000 years ago. But more recent radiocarbon dating estimated it was closer to 6,000 years old, making it a member of our own species - Homo sapiens.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 27, 2017, with the headline Oldest tsunami victim?. Subscribe