Could there be a Neanderthal mummy in the permafrost, located in the northern stretches of our planet? Apparently, yes. Recent discoveries have revealed different Ice Age animals that have remained in ice for more than 40,000 years. They have been preserved in perfect condition, too. Among the discoveries are baby wooly mammoths, wolf pups, and more. Some expect there might also be Neanderthal mummies waiting to be discovered.
Could Such a Discovery Be Found?
While it’s indeed a long shot, it’s far from impossible that the permafrost holds extinct humans preserved like mummies. Confirming this possibility is that the discovered animal species were locked in ice about the same time when Neanderthals are believed to have gone extinct.
The idea is still a far-fetched one, according to Dr. Matthew Pope, Principal Research Fellow at the UCL Institute of Archaeology. He believes that melting ice could have a lot to offer archaeologists. It might be possible for experts to find a near perfectly preserved Neanderthal mummy.
The Evidence Permafrost Has Yielded so Far
At present, all scientists have been able to discover are fossilized bones and items of our distant relative, the Neanderthal. However, theoretically, some examples of the species might be preserved with hair and skin on at subzero temperatures. Still, many experts argue the unlikelihood of finding preserved Neanderthal remains in the permafrost.
Divisions of opinion among scientists arise from the fact that it’s still not perfectly clear where the Neanderthals lived. It’s been determined that the species was adaptable. It could live in the balmy Mediterranean and Siberia. In fact, archaeologists have discovered a site that contained stone tools dating back to nearly 31,000 years ago. However, no bones were found. So, the debate about whether Neanderthals actually lived in chillier areas remains.
In any case, scientists may be able to find an example of our lesser-known cousins in the permafrost. A species known as Denisovans is believed to have lived in Tibet and other chillier areas, as one specimen was discovered in a cave on the Tibetan Plateau.
A New Bill & Ted Easter Egg Has Been Revealed Decades Later
An Easter egg in the first Bill & Ted movie was apparently hiding out of sight since the film’s initial release in 1989. It was discovered after a new 4K transfer of Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure was made available to the public and fans saw new details, including an Easter egg that even Alex Winter didn’t know about.
Fans Are Rediscovering the Bill & Ted Movies
The Bill & Ted movies star Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter as the main protagonists and span an entire trilogy that was completed with Bill and Ted Face the Music several years ago. Now, with the release of the 4K version of Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, fans are rediscovering the original film and finding elements that had been hidden for decades. Apparently, the Great Ones, or the citizens from the future who send George Carlin’s character, Rufus, on a quest to help Bill and Ted, were hovering above a platform that had the Circle K logo on it.
Bill & Ted Met Rufus at a Circle K Store
The Circle K convenience store is a key location in the movie because it is there where Bill and Ted first meet Rufus. So, as the two have a significant impact on the future, that was an Easter egg referencing that the Circle K became important in the future. In the film, Bill and Ted are right outside Circle K when the time-traveling phone booth arrives.
Keanu Reeves says that strange things were afoot at the Circle K, immortalizing the scene and the store that was located in Arizona. The store itself became a landmark in its own right, but the one from the movie actually closed down recently. Apparently, it was the lower video quality of previous versions of the movie that made the reference difficult to see, but the 4K edition made the Circle K logo clear.
Apparently, neither Alex Winter nor the film’s writer Ed Solomon knew about this hidden reference. According to Winter, the Easter egg was probably the work of the film’s production designer Roy Forge Smith. This might actually be the case, especially considering how nobody else seems to have been aware of it.