Mystery of 121 human skulls cleared
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-04-13 10:19
The 121 human skulls found in northwest China's Gansu Province were robbed
from tombs and used for handicrafts, the public security department of the
provincial government confirmed Wednesday.
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Skulls are seen in this March 29, 2006
file photo taken in Tianzhu County, northwestern China's Gansu province.
Police Wednesday confirmed that 121 skulls found in the western part of
Northwest China's Gansu Province were human and had been hacked from their
bodies after death. [newsphoto]
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A gang of farmers, led by a farmer surnamed Qiao from Huzhu County in
neighboring Qinghai Province, robbed the skulls from many old and unclaimed
tombs in the wild, and sold them to another man in the county surnamed Liang,
the state media said, citing the Gansu public security authority.
Liang sawed off the tops of the skulls, and sold them to a man surnamed Liu
from Yongjing County in Gansu.
Liu processed the skull tops into handicrafts, and sold them to rake in
illegal profits.
Prior to the Spring Festival this year, Liang discarded the remains of the
skulls packed in a bag in a forest in Gansu's Tanshanling Town.
The skulls, found by a herdsman last month, were first thought to be those of
monkeys. But some experts suspected they were of humans, after one skull was
discovered wearing false teeth. The clearly visible, clean-cut edges also
implied they had been sawn off.
A forensic medical expert with the Ministry of Public Security announced last
week that they were human skulls.
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