The bobcat was wearing a necklace made of bear teeth and marine shells. Photo by Kenneth Farnsworth / Science Magazine
A bobcat wearing a necklace made of bear teeth and marine shells. was found at a 2,000-year-old Native burial site in Illinois. The bobcat was a kitten somewhere between the ages of four and seven months old. It was deliberately placed with the remains of 22 ancestors, according to archaeologists who studied the site along the Illinois River. “It looked respectful; its paws were placed together,” Angela Perri, who studied the bones, told Science Magazine. “It was clearly not just thrown into a hole.” Perri believes the presence of the necklace on the bobcat means the Native people who lived at the site were trying to domesticate the animal. But another archaeologist who wasn't involved in the study suggested the kitten might have held spiritual significance instead. Regardless of the interpretation, the decorated burial of the bobcat is the find of its kind in the world. Get the Story:
2,000-Year-Old Bobcat With Collar Found In Native American Burial Site — Kitten Buried Like A Human (The Inquisitr 7/6)
Ancient bobcat buried like a human being (Science Mag 7/2)
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