The “Hasanlu lovers” died around 800 BC in Iran, and were discovered in 1972. They died in what seems to be an embrace or kiss, and remained that way for 2800 years. [647×400]
The “Hasanlu lovers” died around 800 BC in Iran, and were discovered in 1972. They died in what seems to be an embrace or kiss, and remained that way for 2800 years. [647×400]
The Hasanlu Lovers are two intertwined human skeletons discovered in 1972 at Hasanlu Hill in northwestern Iran, dating back to around 800 BC. They were found in a plaster-lined brick bin. The two individuals were found lying face-to-face, embracing and kissing each other, with one reaching out to touch the other’s face. Their intimate position led to the nickname “Hasanlu Lovers.”
From archeological evidence, researchers discovered that the city of Hasanlu was destroyed around 800 BC by an invading army that sacked the city and burned it to the ground. The Hasanlu Lovers were likely hiding from these invaders in the grain bin when they died of asphyxiation from the smoke emanating from the fires raging around the city.
Despite their close proximity, there were no signs of injuries. After excavation, the skeletons were transported all the way from Iran to the University of Pennsylvania for study, and were exhibited there until 1986. Today, the skeletons are housed at the National Museum of Iran, along with all artifacts from the Hasanlu site.
An excerpt detailing the brilliant work forensic anthropologists do:
*It was concluded by Selinsky and Monge that both individuals were male.[3][7] They came to this conclusion when comparing both the DNA analysis[13] and skeletal assessment. Dr Selinsky stated that the pelvis was the single best criterion for estimating the sex of the skeletons as there are distinctive features between a female and a male pelvis.[7]*
*The skeleton on the right (referred to as SK 335) is lying on its back. The front portion of his pelvis was lost but when examining his sciatic notch, it was evident he was a male due to the very narrow gap which is a distinctive feature of the male pelvis.[7] As such, researchers identified the skeleton as male largely based on the pelvis. The skeleton had no apparent evidence of disease or healed lifetime injuries.[1][2][3]*
*For the left skeleton (SK 336), lying on its left side facing SK 335, the sex estimation was less clear, but overall research suggests a male: the cranium is distinctively male, while the pelvis is more mixed in its morphology.[3] At the time of excavation, this skeleton was originally identified as female.[5] This was because his sciatic notch was quite wide, a characteristic of a female pelvis, but the front portion of his pelvis which was retrieved from the site, had an acute angle in the front and was less pulled out than a female’s, which suggested the skeleton was a male.[7] The individual appeared to have been healthy in life, and the skeleton had no apparent evidence of healed lifetime injuries.[1][2][3] The sex of the lovers was confirmed from a bone sample for an ancient DNA analysis. The genetic determination of the Hasanlu lovers was male.[7*
The sciatic notch forms part of that space that allows a woman to give birth, hence why it is wider. Typically it is smaller in males, though this skeleton appears to be an outlier, however the remains were typically male in other respects like skull and pubic region which is a far more firm tell between male and female skeletons.
Typically I hate it when people try and make judgements about the relationships of the people whose remains they find, like the traumatic deaths of those at Pompeii when they probably huddled due to fear, but this case seems pretty clear cut they were likely lovers.
2h2o22h2o on
Seems kind of wrong to separate them.
_byetony_ on
“…. There were no signs of injuries.” Idk the guy in the left seems to have a hole in his head
middlechildanonymous on
“Honey, I’ve got a splitting headache, we really need a softer pillow. Also my butt itches.” “Shhh dear, you’re ruining the moment.”
Tijuqueiro_ on
Isn’t it possible that someone moved the skeletons to leave them in that position?
DrzewnyPrzyjaciel on
Not lovers. Roommates.
Worsaae on
Plot twist: both skeletons are biological males. So, either gay lovers or just two dudes who happened to die in a suggestive pose.
SimpleManc88 on
“I hate you Ahmad”
RoookSkywokkah on
Life goals: Find a woman who looks at me the same way she looks at him…minus the death part!
DaemonBlackfyre_21 on
There are endless possibilities here, what if they were sacrificed, murdered, executed or died accidentally (perhaps poison, suffocation, drowning ect) without damaging bones? Maybe they were posed like that because the people who threw them in the pit thought it was hilarious. There are a lot of assumptions with these bones.
timbutkuspride on
And they were roommates
UmpireDear5415 on
its ok to kiss the homies goodnight
CryptographerKey2847 on
I mean they could have died of diseases or plague that would not show up on the bones .
15 Comments
The Hasanlu Lovers are two intertwined human skeletons discovered in 1972 at Hasanlu Hill in northwestern Iran, dating back to around 800 BC. They were found in a plaster-lined brick bin. The two individuals were found lying face-to-face, embracing and kissing each other, with one reaching out to touch the other’s face. Their intimate position led to the nickname “Hasanlu Lovers.”
From archeological evidence, researchers discovered that the city of Hasanlu was destroyed around 800 BC by an invading army that sacked the city and burned it to the ground. The Hasanlu Lovers were likely hiding from these invaders in the grain bin when they died of asphyxiation from the smoke emanating from the fires raging around the city.
Despite their close proximity, there were no signs of injuries. After excavation, the skeletons were transported all the way from Iran to the University of Pennsylvania for study, and were exhibited there until 1986. Today, the skeletons are housed at the National Museum of Iran, along with all artifacts from the Hasanlu site.
More info:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasanlu_Lovers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasanlu_Lovers)
And *some sources suggest* they were both male.
An excerpt detailing the brilliant work forensic anthropologists do:
*It was concluded by Selinsky and Monge that both individuals were male.[3][7] They came to this conclusion when comparing both the DNA analysis[13] and skeletal assessment. Dr Selinsky stated that the pelvis was the single best criterion for estimating the sex of the skeletons as there are distinctive features between a female and a male pelvis.[7]*
*The skeleton on the right (referred to as SK 335) is lying on its back. The front portion of his pelvis was lost but when examining his sciatic notch, it was evident he was a male due to the very narrow gap which is a distinctive feature of the male pelvis.[7] As such, researchers identified the skeleton as male largely based on the pelvis. The skeleton had no apparent evidence of disease or healed lifetime injuries.[1][2][3]*
*For the left skeleton (SK 336), lying on its left side facing SK 335, the sex estimation was less clear, but overall research suggests a male: the cranium is distinctively male, while the pelvis is more mixed in its morphology.[3] At the time of excavation, this skeleton was originally identified as female.[5] This was because his sciatic notch was quite wide, a characteristic of a female pelvis, but the front portion of his pelvis which was retrieved from the site, had an acute angle in the front and was less pulled out than a female’s, which suggested the skeleton was a male.[7] The individual appeared to have been healthy in life, and the skeleton had no apparent evidence of healed lifetime injuries.[1][2][3] The sex of the lovers was confirmed from a bone sample for an ancient DNA analysis. The genetic determination of the Hasanlu lovers was male.[7*
The sciatic notch forms part of that space that allows a woman to give birth, hence why it is wider. Typically it is smaller in males, though this skeleton appears to be an outlier, however the remains were typically male in other respects like skull and pubic region which is a far more firm tell between male and female skeletons.
Typically I hate it when people try and make judgements about the relationships of the people whose remains they find, like the traumatic deaths of those at Pompeii when they probably huddled due to fear, but this case seems pretty clear cut they were likely lovers.
Seems kind of wrong to separate them.
“…. There were no signs of injuries.” Idk the guy in the left seems to have a hole in his head
“Honey, I’ve got a splitting headache, we really need a softer pillow. Also my butt itches.” “Shhh dear, you’re ruining the moment.”
Isn’t it possible that someone moved the skeletons to leave them in that position?
Not lovers. Roommates.
Plot twist: both skeletons are biological males. So, either gay lovers or just two dudes who happened to die in a suggestive pose.
“I hate you Ahmad”
Life goals: Find a woman who looks at me the same way she looks at him…minus the death part!
There are endless possibilities here, what if they were sacrificed, murdered, executed or died accidentally (perhaps poison, suffocation, drowning ect) without damaging bones? Maybe they were posed like that because the people who threw them in the pit thought it was hilarious. There are a lot of assumptions with these bones.
And they were roommates
its ok to kiss the homies goodnight
I mean they could have died of diseases or plague that would not show up on the bones .