'Giant' skeletons found in China's Shandong
Bone measurements indicate that people would have towered over others during ancient times
(Web Desk) - Archaeologists have discovered 5,000-year-old skeletons in eastern China of people who experts claim would have been unusually tall and strong.
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The skeletons have caused quite a stir. Photo courtesy:YouTube
According to The Independent bones unearthed at the dig site in Shandong province indicate that the people would have been 1.8 meters or taller when they were living with one man estimated to have been over 1.9 meters. These evaluations have been made on the basis of bone measurements and expert’s opinions.
“This is just based on bone structure. If he was a living person, his height would certainly exceed 1.9m,” claimed Fang Hui, head of Shandong University’s school of history and culture.
Although a body length of 1.8 or 1.9 meters is not particularly tall by 21st-century Western standards, it is thought that in ancient times such a height would have allowed these people to tower over their fellow men.
It is uncertain what led to these people being taller and stronger than their contemporaries with some saying that it could have been due to better food as well as more comfortable living (the area is believed to have been the economic center of the Chinese region while its people’s diet is said to have mostly consisted of pigs and millet).
Locals in Shandong see their own height as a defining characteristic with a study conducted in 2015 finding out that the average height of 18 men inthe province was 1.753m, compared with the national average of 1.72m.Confucius, who was born in the area, had also been reportedly 1.9m tall.
The site also yielded other items like ancient pots. Photo courtesy:New China News Agency
The excavation site which is based in the village of Jiaojia, near Jinan City, had revealed numerous archeological treasures other than the skeletons. 104 houses and 20 sacrificial pits have also been unearthed along with a number of colorful pots and jade articles. The houses discovered at the dig site appear to support the theory that the people in the region led confortable lives as according to China Daily they appear to have separate bedrooms and kitchens, considered a sign of affluence in ancient times.
China has long been a region of particular interest to archeologists due to the country’s rich prehistory.
