Ancient forearm bone from Tall Man found at archaeological site in Okinawa: (Visitors???)

Researchers have unearthed an ancient forearm bone from the Mabuni Hantabaru archeological site in Itoman, Okinawa Prefecture, believed to be from a Jomon period male roughly 169 centimeters tall -- much taller than the average for the period.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/10ac8d91caf6.jpg[/atsimg]
The forearm bone from the Mabuni Hantabaru archeological site in Itoman, Okinawa

The bone, measuring about 28 centimeters, is believed to be from the late Jomon period, dating back 3,000-4,000 years. The average height of males from the same period is about 158 centimeters.

Takayuki Matsu#a, honorary head of the Doigahama Site Anthropological Museum in Yamaguchi Prefecture, which conducted a survey of the area, said the find was unusual. "Even on a national scale, this is an unusual height, and it could make a difference to research on people from the Jomon period,"

The bones of another male estimated to be 164 centimeters tall have also been unearthed at the site. However, Matsu#a said with only two samples of relatively tall people being found, there was no evidence that their height had been passed on genetically.

Source: archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com...

Wow. I have to admit that I really didn't even know about "Tall People" a.k.a Giants until I saw something on one of the History channels shows about the giant bones found in the California area-I believe. And recently, someone posted on one of my threads about humans a race or so ago may have been "Giants/Tall People"-by our standards today. And, of course some ATS postings I came across.. (example: www.abovetopsecret.com...)

Anyway, a mystery in Japan. I will have to follow-up with this story when they release their findings. Not to mention they found another large bone belonging to another male at the same sight. I find that intriguing.

Any ATSers familary with Japanese/Oriental archaelogy? Lets us know what you know

Very cool!

I do believe that "giants" walked the Earth at some point. I tend to think if all the animals and dinosaurs were so massive at one time, why not man that was here?

I too think the first time I heard of giants was via the History Channel but this was years ago. I find all ancient civilization stories fascinating! We just don't really know and imo anything is possible!

it isn't that unusual is it?
i have no knowledgde in chinese archaelogy.

but just as we have people like this walking around today

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/62e2e1fe9698.jpg[/atsimg]

maybe it was the same in their time?

just a special person, maybe with a disease that prevented him frop stopping his growth?



i'm just ASKING, let me make that clear

if i need to *facepalm* myself, someone will shure enlighten me

go easy on me

reply to post by anon72
Do you realize that 169 cm is only just over 5 and 1/2 feet tall? Not tall at all. Only slightly taller than average for that time period.

Tall for that region, but only about 5 1/2 feet tall, as was said. Yes, this might have been someone visiting Okinawa from another island or from the mainland. The bone is definitely human.

Thank you. I was just about to post that.

I'm about 169cm - 5'5" .

But I like that people might consider me a GIANT!

reply to post by anon72


Awesome find.

You wouldn't mind if I link this thread and that article to my latest thread would you?

Describing it as from the Jomon Period doesn't really narrow it down time wise, that's basically from the end of the ice age up to the 3rd century BC. The article states they've only found one other bone belonging to a similarly "tall" individual, making these two samples outliers and not indicators of an unknown race. They don't indicate the bone was treated in any deferential way from those belonging to the average found at that site, which perhaps indicate that this "tall" individual was not seen as anything anomalous.

Humans are like any other animal, with a genetic predisposition to grow in stature under ideal conditions. The average height of European males has grown by 6 inches in just the past 500 years, as we've mastered our environment. Yet when trapped on an island species undergo something called "insular dwarfism", causing them to shrink in stature, most likely due to their limited food supplies and lack of genetic diversity. The Japanese archipelago gave rise to many island inhabitants each responding genetically in minute variations according to their habitat. studies have been conducted that have documented just how wide-ranging these variations can be within the same species when populations spread across an archipelago and then become isolated; (see Bottlenecks, drift and differentiation: the population structure and demographic history of sika deer (Cervus nippon) in the Japanese archipelago)

The average height of Japanese males has changed throughout this period from 152cm to present day 170cm (source). These averages can be further distinguished between individual populations among the islands. These bones may belong to individuals who were a genetic throwback to an earlier time when heights were slightly taller or some other anomalous genetic response. As Byrd mentioned, they could be from a neighboring island with it's population's slight genetic variation in height.

Further reading;
What Can Variation in Stature Reveal About Environmental Differences Between Prehistoric Jomon Foragers? Understanding the Impact of Systemic Stress on Developmental Stability

reply to post by Blackmarketeer


Dam.... that's what I'm talking about.

Exactly why I put things up here. I love it when ATSers nail things.

SLAYER... of course not.

I would bet that if there was am increase in average height on a neighboring island, it corresponda to the advent ofrice cultivation