Ancient Proteins Reveal 6,000-year-old Ring Was Made From Deer Antler or Bone

The discovery is latest success in a method that's revolutionizing archaeology and paleontology.

Dead Things iconDead Things
By Gemma Tarlach
Jan 22, 2020 12:00 AMJan 22, 2020 2:09 PM
SyltRing
A photograph of the broken ring found in Syltholm, Denmark, and determined to be made of deer antler or bone. (Credit: Jensen et al)

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Nearly 6,000 years ago, in what's now Denmark, a Neolithic crafter fashioned a ring from a piece of deer antler or bone. During the process, or soon after, the piece broke in two. It was apparently dropped — perhaps discarded in frustration — near other items, including a wooden spear that was also broken.

And there the ring waited, over time buried by debris and dirt, and eventually submerged beneath the sea.

After almost 6 millennia, the ring's time has finally come: Thanks to a new approach to understanding the past, researchers have been able to reconstruct much of its story, right down to the species of animal that provided the raw material.

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