Experts ask if there was a tsunami in ancient Orkney

[Judi Lynn]

Experts ask if there was a tsunami in ancient Orkney
By Huw Williams
BBC Scotland reporter
1 August 2018



A new academic paper has suggested it is possible neolithic mass burials in Orkney and Shetland contain the bodies of tsunami victims.

The authors said archaeologists should test remains to see if the bones show the distinctive signs of drowning in sea water.

Prof James Goff said the work was based on findings from the southern hemisphere.

. . .

Prof Goff, from the University of New South Wales, told BBC Radio Orkney there are sites in the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu where there are "known tsunamis that have happened in prehistory at the times that these mass burials date to".

More:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-45035429

[Brother Buzz]

1. I was ready to call baloney when it was suggested checking the bones for signs of drowning

Turns out it's totally legit:

Diatoms provide key evidence for forensic investigations of suspected drowning deaths. As a person drowns, they inhale water into the lungs. This water, along with any microscopic animals floating around, gets taken up by the bloodstream and circulated around to the internal organs. Following drowning, Diatoms are known to aggregate in the bone marrow (especially the long bones such as the femur). These microscopic creatures are particularly critical in autopsies.

http://www.deepseanews.com/2014/09/diagnosing-death-with-diatoms/