Prehistoric snake bones discovered in south China

via Xinhua, 03 April 2023: Snake bones dating back to the Neolithic period, approximately 6,000 years ago, have been discovered in south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The discovery sheds light on the history of snake hunting in the region and suggests that prehistoric humans may have roasted snake meat for consumption.

Snake bones that date back to the Neolithic period, around 6,000 years ago, have been discovered in the Zuojiang River basin, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The longest single vertebra unveiled at the site represents an individual snake belonging to the species Python bivittatus. The vertebra indicates the snake’s overall body length exceeded 4.58 meters, surpassing the previous record in China for this species of 3.56 meters.

The new discovery has also helped shed light on on the history of hunting snakes in south China, which can be traced back to about 6,000 years ago.

Source: Prehistoric snake bones discovered in south China-Xinhua