Melbourne, Oct 26: Scientists have identified what may be the world’s oldest tsunami victim by analysing a 6,000-year-old human skull that was discovered in Papua New Guinea in 1929.
The study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, shows that the region has experienced repeated catastrophic tsunamis that have caused death and destruction throughout history.
“We have discovered that the place where the Aitape Skull was unearthed was a coastal lagoon that was inundated by a large tsunami about 6,000 years ago, similar to the one that struck nearby with such devastating effect in 1998, killing more than 2,000 people,” said James Goff, a scientist at University of New South Wales in Australia.
“We conclude that this person who died there so long ago is probably the oldest known tsunami victim in the world,” said Goff.
Press Trust Of India
