Headdress Made Of Deer Skull Is The Earliest Known Shamanic Costume

Photo credit: Depiction of an Evenki shaman in Mongolia wearing an antler headdress similar to those found at Star Carr (after Witsen 1785, 655). A. Little et al., PLOS ONE 2016

Researchers analyzing and reconstructing an 11,000-year-old red deer headdress – the earliest known evidence of shamanic costume – used traditional techniques to reveal that the production process is surprisingly expedient and includes pyrotechnology. The findings are published in PLOS ONE this week.