Brain tissue has been found in three human skulls dating back to the second century that were unearthed last year in Tottori Prefecture, researchers said Monday.
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| Well-perserved brain tissue found in ancient skulls from Tottori |
The discovery is believed to be the first of its kind in Japan, they said.
The brain tissue, which was well preserved, was found in the skulls of two men and one woman, according to the Tottori education and culture foundation.
Because brain tissue decomposes quickly, it is rare to find it in ancient skulls, said Takao Inoue, professor of anatomy at Tottori University School of Medicine. Inoue and other researchers at the university are expected to take nuclear DNA samples from the tissue to analyze the human leukocyte antigen, a pattern of white blood corpuscles.