A ceremonial shaman mask has been recreated, leading to new discoveries from a 9,000-year-old burial site.

In 1934, researchers unearthed a grave from the European Mesolithic period (15,000-5,000 B.C.), providing insights into the life and significance of early humans. Among the grave's contents was a complex headdress, part of a large array of artifacts hinting at the important role of the woman buried within, writes Live Science.

This burial site, located in Bad Dürrenberg, central Germany, contains the remains of a woman aged between 25 and 40, along with fragments of a child's skeleton placed on her knees. DNA analysis revealed that the infant was a distant relative, not her child.

Surrounding the remains were intriguing burial items, including a hollow crane bone for storing tiny stone knives, a polished axe, a deer bone for applying red ochre, and over 50 pendants made from various animal teeth.

These artifacts, combined with the ritualistic elements of the burial, such as the generous use of red ochre, suggest that the deceased likely held significant cultural importance.

Supporting this interpretation is the unique structure of the woman's skeleton. The first cervical vertebra was irregularly shaped and partially fused, possibly causing her unusual sensations, such as tingling or crawling feelings under her skin, as well as involuntary eye movements.

Experts propose that these physical traits, along with the carefully considered nature of the burial, indicate that she may have been a shaman or spiritual healer. Drawing parallels with shamanic practices in Siberia and northern Eurasia, researchers reconstructed her headdress, suggesting it may have included animal bones, fangs, shells, and horns strung together into a ceremonial mask.

This discovery has become an important source of knowledge about the rituals and cultural roles of the last hunter-gatherers in Europe before the transition to agricultural societies.

We also discussed who built the House of the Dragon and why. Scientists have only theories regarding the purpose of these monuments.