Amazing Facts – Roopkund Lake and Its 600 Ancient Skeletons
Skeletal Secrets of The Roopkund Lake: The Skeleton Lake – High in the Himalayas
A Lake Filled with Bones
A lake populated with corpses – High in the Himalayas, the Uttarakhand region is home to Roopkund Lake, more popularly known as Skeleton Lake. Like most glacial tarns, it is beautiful and tranquil, however, during summer, during the thaw, the charm quickly diminishes: lakes are filled with hundreds upon hundreds of human skeletons.
The First Discovery
The first written record of the corpses was during the 1940s when a British Ranger discovered them. Since then, scientists have recorded more than 600 corpses, some having preserved hair, skin, and articles of clothing. The preserved, frozen, and barren climate is the perfect burial ground.
What Science Reveals
More Than Just Bones According to various research and DNA analysis as shared in a Nature Communications article, the remains belonged to more than one set of individuals: some were native South Asians, others had Mediterranean ancestry. These individuals also belonged to different periods: some as early as the 7th century, others hundreds of years later.
The Mystery of Their Deaths
How did so many people die here? One leading theory is a giant hailstorm. Several skulls bear injuries that could only be caused by massive hailstones. Other ideas include disease, starvation, or exposure. Local folklore even tells of a goddess punishing pilgrims.
Why It Still Matters
Today, Roopkund is a restricted trekking site, but its mystery continues to draw global attention. For scientists, these bones tell stories of ancient travel, migration, and survival in extreme conditions. For travellers, the lake stands as a haunting reminder of how fragile life is against the forces of nature.
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