An ancient "birdman" was unearthed in 2019 in Siberia, who was buried wearing a costume made of bird beaks — believed to be from herons or cranes. They may have been part of a ritual costume, or an elaborate helmet. The Novosibirsk Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography unearthed the finds at the Ust-Tartas archaeological site in the Novosibirsk region. The beaks were assembled at the back of the skull, along the neck, as if it was a collar that protected the owner. Alternatively, the beaks — of which there are estimated to be between around 30 and 50 — may have been part of a ritual costume, or an elaborate headdress or helmet. It is believed the ancient man was a shaman who belonged to the "Odinov culture" which dominated the region. The "Odino culture" name is taken from the Odino settlement in the basin of the Ishim river, in Western Siberia. The Odinov people lived during the Bronze Age, likely between the 18th to 16th centuries BCE. They lived as...
