The man, the woman and the hyoid bone: From archaeology to the burial practices of the Xiongnu people (Egyin Gol Valley, Mongolia)

A man and a woman were found in a double burial dating from the 1st century BC and located in a Xiongnu burial site in northern Mongolia. An offering box at the head of the man's coffin contained both remains of domestic anim als and a human hyoid bone. The skeleton of th em an was complete whereas t he woman's hyoid bone was missing. The isolated hyoid bone could belong to the buried woman, which suggests the removal of her tongue and probably her sacrifice.