The immediate assumption (it being wartime) was that these were the remains of Japanese soldiers who had died of exposure while sneaking through India. The British government, terrified of a Japanese land invasion, sent a team of investigators to determine if this was true. However, upon examination they realized these bones were not from Japanese soldiers—they weren’t fresh enough.⁠ ⁠ It was evident that the bones were quite old indeed. Flesh, hair, and the bones themselves had been preserved by the dry, cold air, but no one could properly determine exactly where they were from. More than that, they had no idea what had killed over 200 people in this small valley. Many theories were put forth including an epidemic, landslide, and ritual su*cide. For decades, no one was able to shed light on the mystery of Skeleton Lake.⁠ ⁠ _____⁠ ⁠ However, a 2004 expedition to the site seems to have finally revealed the mystery of what caused those people’s deaths. The answer was stranger than anyone...