High in the Himalayas, the bones of several hundred mysterious people lie scattered around a small lake, earning it the nickname Skeleton Lake. Since its discovery by a forest ranger, this eerie location in Uttarakhand, near the border with Nepal, has puzzled researchers.
Roopkund Lake, also known as Skeleton Lake, is situated at an altitude of more than 5,000 meters above sea level in the north Indian state of Uttarakhand. The lake reveals its macabre secrets only when its icy waters melt for a brief period each year, exposing the human bones that litter its shores. The scene is reminiscent of a horror film, with skeletal remains visible both above and beneath the surface of the often-frozen lake.
Some of those people originated in the vicinity of Greece and Crete around 220 years ago, a new analysis of DNA and radiocarbon-dated bones finds. But why the genetically unrelated men and women traveled to Skeleton Lake, or how they died, is still a mystery, scientists report August 20 in Nature Communications.
“We were extremely surprised to find Mediterranean ancestry at such a harsh geographical location,” says paleogeneticist Niraj Rai of Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences in Lucknow, India. A trip from Greece to the sky-scraping lake covers about 5,000 kilometers.
Estimates suggest that around 500 skeletons are present, with potential for many more to be discovered given the harsh conditions and remote location, which requires a five-day trek to reach. The isolation and difficulty of access add to the mystery of how these individuals ended up here.
One prevailing theory suggests these could be the remains of pilgrims. Roopkund is part of the route for the Nanda Devi Raj Jat pilgrimage, a significant journey for Hindu devotees. A legend tells of King Jasdhaval of Kannauj, who, along with his dancers and pregnant wife, was caught in a deadly hailstorm while visiting the Nanda Devi shrine, leading to their tragic end at the lake.
Other theories have circulated, including the idea that these could be soldiers returning from war or even Japanese invaders, but these have largely been debunked. DNA analysis of 37 skeletons revealed that most died around 1,000 years ago, with some as recent as the 19th century. Surprisingly, the genetic makeup of many skeletons pointed to Mediterranean origins, far from the Indian Himalayas.
Harvard geneticist David Reich noted the unusual ancestry, stating, “It was unbelievable, because the type of ancestry we find in about a third of the individuals is so unusual for this part of the world.” This suggests that the deaths might not have been from a single catastrophic event but rather a series of incidents over centuries.
Kathleen Morrison from the University of Pennsylvania highlighted the historical presence of a Greek kingdom in the region from 180 BC, which might explain the Mediterranean DNA.
The mystery of Roopkund Lake continues to captivate and confound, offering a glimpse into the enigmatic past of the Himalayas.