# @science on Instagram - **Type:** Image - **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DWkmkwLji8- - **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/62624389-science-instagram - **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/00c1b6a670.jpg - **Posted:** 2026-04-01T02:15:18.000+00:00 - **Account Owner:** Science šŸ§¬ (@science) ā€” https://gondola.cc/science ## Caption 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 soldiersā€”they werenā€™t fresh enough.ā  ā  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.ā  ā  _____ā  ā  However, a 2004 expedition to the site seems to have finally revealed the mystery of what caused those peopleā€™s deaths. The answer was stranger than anyone had guessed.ā  As it turns out, all the bodies date to around 850 AD. DNA evidence indicates that there were two distinct groups of people, one a family or tribe of closely related individuals, and a second smaller, shorter group of locals, likely hired as porters and guides.ā  Rings, spears, leather shoes, and bamboo staves were found, leading experts to believe that the group was comprised of pilgrims heading through the valley with the help of the locals.ā  ā  All the bodies had died in a similar way, from blows to the head. However, the short deep cracks in the skulls appeared to be the result not of weapons, but rather of something rounded. The bodies also only had wounds on their heads, and shoulders as if the blows had all come from directly above.ā  ā  ā  ā  ā  ā  ā  #frozen #frozenlake #lake #valley #indianlakeā  ## Stats - **Views:** 0 - **Likes:** 1,290 - **Shares:** 0 - **Comments:** 28 ## Tags valley, lake, frozenlake, indianlake, frozen --- Copyright (c) Gondola