This ancient brain was preserved in a way that's hard to believe

2025-07-12 22:38:00, Kuriozitete CNA

An interesting discovery in Turkey has caught the attention of scientists and archaeologists alike. A 4,000-year-old human brain has been found at the ancient settlement of Seyitomer Hoyuk in western Turkey, and its preservation is unlike anything researchers have seen before. The find is not only one of the oldest human brains ever discovered, but it's also one of the most intact.

Normally, brain tissue decomposes rapidly after death due to the presence of enzymes that break down cells. As a result, finding an intact brain from the Bronze Age is an extremely rare event. However, the preservation of this particular brain can be attributed to a combination of natural disasters and environmental factors.

Scientists believe that the settlement where the brain's owner lived experienced a powerful earthquake. This seismic event buried the inhabitants, followed immediately by a fire that quickly spread throughout the settlement. The fire likely boiled the brain in its own juices, a process that helped preserve the tissue.

The soil where the brain was found contained high levels of magnesium, potassium and aluminum, which led to the formation of adipocere, a wax-like substance that further mummified the brain tissue, ensuring that it remained intact for millennia.

The discovery of this well-preserved brain offers scientists an unprecedented opportunity to study ancient human conditions. Because brain tissue is so well-preserved, researchers are now able to examine it for clues about the health of people who lived during the Bronze Age. By studying the preserved brain, scientists hope to identify signs of conditions such as brain tumors, hemorrhages, or other physical markers that could indicate the cause of death.

This type of preservation is so rare that most archaeologists don't expect to find intact brain tissue in their excavations. In fact, the University of Zurich researchers who examined the brain expressed their surprise, noting that the discovery could inspire others to search for and study ancient brain tissue in the future.

They stressed that "the level of preservation combined with the age is extraordinary" and that such findings could encourage archaeologists to pay more attention to the potential for discovering well-preserved brain samples.

Although rare, the preservation of human remains, including brain tissue, is not unheard of. In 2012, the bodies of three children were found on the summit of Llullaillaco Volcano in Argentina, almost perfectly preserved by the mountain’s cold climate. Similarly, this Bronze Age brain was preserved thanks to specific circumstances that allowed the tissue to survive for thousands of years. The presence of natural disasters and the unique environmental conditions where the brain was buried played a crucial role in its preservation.

With advances in technology, scientists are now able to analyze preserved tissue in ways that were once unimaginable. Frank Rühli, a researcher at the University of Zurich in Switzerland who has investigated medieval brain tissue, says, “If we want to learn more about the history of neurological disorders, we need to have tissue like this.”

The knowledge gained from these findings could reshape our understanding of ancient diseases, health conditions, and even how environmental factors contributed to the survival of certain civilizations.