Twelve terrifying discoveries have emerged from beneath Siberia’s permafrost, and one of them has scientists questioning what else is still frozen in time. Among the finds were ancient carcasses preserved for thousands of years, but it was the revival of a microscopic worm, dormant for over 46,000 years, that stunned researchers.
Siberia’s permafrost has preserved a wide range of organic material for thousands of years, from prehistoric animals to ancient human remains. In recent decades, researchers studying this frozen ground have recovered specimens that offer new insight into extinct species, early human history, and long-buried pathogens. The following accounts describe some of the more notable discoveries to emerge f…
Twelve things scientists never expected to surface from Siberia’s frozen ground are now forcing a dramatic rethink. As the permafrost thaws, it’s yielding more than ancient bones—it’s releasing ancient viruses and massive craters that have researchers deeply concerned.
High-resolution imaging has revealed some of the oldest tattoos ever found, preserved on a naturally mummified woman who died about 2,500 years ago in the Altai Mountains of Siberia. The discovery occurred during excavations of burial mounds on the Ukok Plateau in 1993, led by archaeologist Natalia Polosmak. The site sits near the meeting point of Russia, China, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan.Most ancie…