The Only Human Found in the La Brea Tar Pits

[@eons]

We hope you like this podcast episode! We're hard at work on new KZbin episodes of Eons coming soon but in the meantime, have you checked out the 2023 Eons calendar yet? What do you think? www.complexlycalendars.com/products/eons

[@rwingtwitteracademy]

P neat

[@youtubejosephwm6699]

Eons can you please reply to the email I sent you I want to do a collaboration with eons and a few other KZbinrs about the natural history of each continent

[@yankeedoodle6069]

Do bots post this comment?

[@drstone3418]

How do we know the animals weren't driven in by the predictors

[@thebigpicture2032]

Nicely narrated.

[@anthonyharraden4709]

I was in a rehab just a block away from the tar pits this past winter and we went to the pits for a “field trip” a couple times a week. Literally the only place I was allowed to go. And it was an amazing time for me. Grown man, away from phone and internet, being able to see the tar pits for the first time brought me back to my childhood loving learning about such places and wanting to be a paleontologist one day lol. Well, I didn’t become one but i really enjoy your videos on the pits and others as well. Thank you.

[@Sirona279]

Hugs from a fellow recovering addict and history nerd. Hope things are going better for you, Love. 💜

[@indulgentenhydra5997]

So much love from a recovering addict. I'm in college for anthropology now. It's never too late to learn about what you love, and you don't need a degree anymore to learn everything you can about the world we live in. Stay strong, we got this.

[@coldlakealta4043]

total respect

[@saml7610]

Hell yeah brother, proud of you for getting clean. And you can totally still become a paleontologist or even an archaeologist. Who cares if you're a little older? You can go to school and do it. I didn't get my degree and move into my current field until I was 35.

[@jtboss8139]

I got u for the low

[@UnimpressedSenpai]

That was us! We're the lab that dated the la brea woman and dog. Here at the Keck carbon cycle accelerated mass spectrometer lab at UC Irvine. I'm happy to see our work and specifically Dr. Fullers work.

[@stargatis]

❤❤❤awesome!

[@OptimusPrinceps_Augustus]

Wonder where she came from, if she was a local, traveller or sacrifice?

[@maniaemagna]

After they mentioned the possibility she may have died of a severe sinus infection so I looked up what happens when sinus infections become fatal and it said it can cause blindness. So it's not impossible she was so sick she wandered into the pits accidentally.

[@hi_im_angelatrainor]

I think that’s a realistic assumption

[@xXLuciBearXx]

Or it could of been a situation where she knew she was going to die from the infection and decided to go for a tar pit swim hoping it was a less painful and overall a quicker death then death by infection, she could of ended up in the pits on purpose

[@maniaemagna]

@@xXLuciBearXx I would not be surprised if she did cause even today individuals facing a lifetime of chronic pain may choose to do the same.

[@xXLuciBearXx]

Another possibility is that she took her life because of her infection making her a burden on the rest of the people she was around if there was any and she decided to take her life in the pit so she wouldn't be a burden or what she that was a burden on the rest of the group She might of done it in the pit so she just disappeared instead of making it a big thing

[@neclark08]

...another grim possibility is that Her People had 'run-out of resources' to feed everyone in their tribe -- and a vote of the Tribal Elders settled on the necessity to 'cull their number' -- by pushing her into the pit...sacrificing the least-productive member of their group for the benefit of the rest...

[@TC-8789]

The fact she didn't eat seafood makes me wonder if she was a traveler new to the area who didn't realize the danger of the pit.

[@dartmart9263]

Spot on. She wasn’t a local. She was probably killed and tossed in for that reason.

[@soxpeewee]

Some people really hate fish

[@jonhall2274]

Also some people are allergic to seafood, also she could have just gone an extended period of time without eating seafood.

[@4acae86]

It’s pretty hilly between the tar pits and the ocean. Might not have been worth hiking 10ish miles through the hills for food when there is already food around you.

[@karenabrams8986]

@@4acae86 Only distance I’ll travel for fish is to the bin to put it in! 🤢

[@repmidwest]

At first, I was like “Man, EONS is really cutting back on their graphics budget… Oh, it’s a podcast.” 😂

[@shells500tutubo]

🤣😂I was completely annoyed by the fact that the background stayed fuzzy, and then I read your comment. I totally glossed over the beginning that said it was a podcast. Oh well, it was a long day, lol.

[@jameskelly9800]

the background changed nonetheless. for their trouble, it could have been a better job.

[@astrocoastalprocessor]

felt like levar button was holding the book open to the camera

[@Zsokorad]

I think the biggest question is "why is she the only one?"

[@dartmart9263]

That is the right question to ask. If it was part of a “reburial practice”, then where are all the thousands of other skeletons that should be there.

[@politicallycorrectredskin796]

If not "where was Alec Baldwin at the time?"

[@Haskellerz]

La Brea Woman's skeleton is missing lots of bones and pieces La Brea Tar Pits naturally grind and shift bone fragments It is possible that the La Brea Tar Pits destroyed the other human skeletons Or many other human skeletons are still there, but they were mixed with other animal remains.

[@dartmart9263]

@@Haskellerz Very possible

[@jackiehopson8334]

Bigger question is if she was the only one, why do we need giant fences around the pits today...... Answer: We are getting dumber

[@Devin_Stromgren]

If she was deliberately interred there as a burial practice, wouldn't we expect to find more human remains than just her? People don't generally inter a single dead person differently than how they deal with every other.

[@Amy_the_Lizard]

In theory it's possible she could have been some sort of 'exceptional' type figure that they felt warranted different treatment. Like, maybe they thought she was a demon or something and threw her in there to try and make sure she couldn't come back. Granted, you'd normally still expect to see multiple skeletons with situations like that, but it's possible the group that put her there might've moved elsewhere before another person they concluded was a demon cropped up, or maybe something bad happened after they put her in the tar and they all interpreted it as a sign that putting her there made the gods angry. There are plausible explanations, though it is still highly unusual

[@Devin_Stromgren]

@@Amy_the_Lizard Honestly the thought of a dishonorable burial like that had occurred to me, but like you said it would still seem likely we'd find more than one, and if they were from somewhere else just passing through they'd most likely have their own traditional methods for dealing with "demons". You'd expect they'd have to be in the area for a few generations to form such a ritual with the tar pits.

[@dartmart9263]

Give Devin a cigar!!! You’ve hit it on the nail. If reburial in the tar pits was part of “a practice”, then where are all the thousands of other skeletons that should be there? Also, you can’t possibly have evidence of a murder among ancient First Nations people! They were all peaceful, wise and in constant harmony with nature and with each other. Murder must have been one of those evil concepts introduced by Europeans and settlers. Just joking, of course. Kinda. Just like the Chaco Canyon cannibalism evidence in Anasazi bones can’t possibly be that. Nobody wants to admit cannibalism in their family history. And specially when you are talking about ancient Amerindian tribes. So, change the narrative to something else is their answer. Simple, sweep it all under their rug. For the record, I’m a member of a First Nation. I’m just tired of outside “experts” tip toeing on issues because they think we can’t handle the truth.

[@Devin_Stromgren]

@@dartmart9263 While I did notice some of that sort of attitude at the beginning of the video, I didn't get the impression he was letting it cloud his opinion of the evidence.

[@nickl5658]

Maybe she was a visitor to the area. Coming in from the interior to the coast to trade...(she did consume much sea protein) and got stuck there.

[@trashpanda2200]

There's something kind of beautiful about the fact that so many remains have been found in the La brea tar pits but so far we've only found the remains of one human... Surely that wasn't the only human who got stuck or fell in, especially if the people who lived there used the pits for water proofing and stuff. But most humans who fell in had people around that would help them out.

[@calyodelphi124]

Perhaps the lack of evidence of human remains in the tar pits is the oldest known evidence of the altruistic nature of humanity. :)

[@mme.veronica735]

@@calyodelphi124 I think there's evidence of otherwise life ending injuries, such as a broken leg that would prevent foraging and gathering and anything productive, being healed in early hominids, suggesting those early hominids cared for eachother when they couldn't care for themselves

[@ltchugacast131]

It only takes one wild story to birth superstition. One person dies horribly and suddenly there’s warnings spread everywhere one way or another. Curiosity mixed with fear is the breeding place of spirituality.

[@Amy_the_Lizard]

​@@mme.veronica735 Like Shanidar 1 and his myriad of injuries!

[@raklibra]

Or ancient human suicidality

[@sydposting]

Would it be possible to upload podcast episodes to KZbin with captions like this? Even if it's not on the main Eons channel. The subtitles help out a lot, and I'm sure there are others in the audience - Deaf/HoH, non-native English-speakers, or people with sensory processing disorders like me - who would appreciate it too! 🤗

[@faxthat2855]

As some one with sensory processing disorder I approve this message

[@staytuned2L337]

Yes, please!

[@drbrungus]

Can I use this comment to ask: does anyone know a way to auto-generate captions for podcasts like videos on KZbin?

[@staytuned2L337]

@@drbrungus on the playbar beside the cog wheel for the settings button there should be a box with CC on it, click it to get the closed caption :)

[@hollybyrd6186]

Hard of hearing and some people mumble or the sound fades out. Captions make a big difference to understanding the story line.

[@anthroposlogica9379]

I worked at the Tar Pits for many years and prepared many of those fossils...the George C Page Museum La Brea Tar Pits is the most beautiful place in my eyes. Thank you Eons

[@natalyn139]

wow, thank you for your contributions to science and our understanding of prehistory! out of curiosity, what are you doing these days?

[@anthroposlogica9379]

@@natalyn139 ive since had the chance to work for the natural history Los Angeles county before i moved to the California Science center which i currently work. I also run the Anthropology dept at a local small museum called whittier narrows nature center.

[@natalyn139]

@@anthroposlogica9379 ahhhh that’s so cool! i’m envious because natural history and anthropology are two of my favorite fields of study (in addition to regular history) but i’ve been chronically ill since i was 13 so i couldn’t finish school and can’t work. your career seems incredible to me. it sounds like you’ve done a lot to help promote science education, which is really admirable! i’m sure you’ve impacted the lives of many people like me who don’t have access to formal education for one reason or another but still want to learn about these subjects. the internet is a great tool for self-education, sure, but there’s no replacement for going to a museum and seeing things in person. it can be a powerful experience that sparks a lifelong passion for learning, and that’s so important. so thank you again for your work!

[@alexcox1840]

@@anthroposlogica9379 thats amazing! What do you think was the most interesting find there? 😁

[@anthroposlogica9379]

@@alexcox1840 fossils of Homotherium have been found at the Tar Pits but no where near complete. Mainly just fragments.

[@DaveTexas]

As someone who has frequent sinus infections - including one that was bad enough to require reconstructive surgery on the wall of one of my sinuses - the thought of dying from a sinus infection is horrifying. Even if this woman didn’t die from the infection, she would have been miserable for weeks or months. The pain from a really bad sinus infection is intense. Crippling headaches, stabbing pain, the inability to even think well. Ugh. Awful. I’m glad to be living in the era of effective antibiotics.

[@fleetskipper1810]

I’ve had two sinus operations. TG for modern medicine is all I can say.

[@guybartlett9587]

And full refrigerators

[@EricRoberts2112]

She could have gone to the coast and the salt in the air would have cured the infection.

[@mhuzzell]

Solidarity, fellow sufferer! Though I've been fortunate not to have them quite that badly. But what I have had did make me think: a sinus infection can absolutely *wreck* your sense of balance, and even mess with your vision. If she was a traveller, walking alone -- and ill and maybe a little delirious -- and unaware of the danger, maybe dropped something into the pit and tried to reach for it, and fell in herself ... well, it's a horribly plausible way for her to have ended up in there.

[@williamsherman1089]

Yeah I've had them since a little kid, I'm 55 now and yes they can mess with you quite badly

[@ziizification]

So for some reason I thought the podcasts were super long rather than similar to your videos, and given that I often just listen to the videos I'm thrilled to be corrected and will go listen to more of them! And what a treat of a first listen this video is thank you!

[@dinosinspace]

I wish they were longer tbh. Can't please everyone I suppose!

[@papermario3982]

Same! I don't have the attention span for longer podcasts lol

[@GreatBigBore]

Prey and predators were buried only once per decade on average? That's surprisingly infrequent, like it must have required special circumstances. I wonder what the science says about it. Great video, love the format. Was initially disappointed that there weren't pics, but then it was nice just to listen

[@VelociraptorsOfSkyrim]

My guess would be that it could be that local animals learned to avoid the pits, moved out of the area, New animals unfamiliar with the pits arrive, get stuck, learn to avoid the pits, eventually leave, new animals move in, rinse and repeat

[@Lucius_Chiaraviglio]

So it's not just me that saw only blurred pictures? I thought something had gone wrong with my video playback.

[@murraymadness4674]

In many cases animals that are sick do things normal ones don't do, so one sick and confused just happened to be in the area might be an unusual occurance, perhaps they were running from some prey too.

[@deptusmechanikus7362]

Maybe animals aren't as dumb as we like to think

[@Jenacide]

@@deptusmechanikus7362 Or maybe it was as simple as “this smells weird, lets avoid it”

[@jimthain8777]

The fact that her diet had no sea food may mean she was from somewhere else originally. Perhaps an inland tribe? In which case how and why end up on the coast. It is possible that being a teenager (we all think we're immortal at that age) she explored this area alone and fell into the pit with no one to help. There was a young woman (approximately the same age) found in a drowned cave in Mexico. The archaeologists believe she fell and hit her head. No one must have known she was there either, or they'd have at least taken the body for burial. We bury our dead. It seems unlikely to me, that this young woman was buried here. Though nothing can be definitively ruled out. Thanks for this it was fascinating to listen to, and as a hearing impaired person the subtitles were a great help.

[@royalfelineandtracygrant]

I can confirm, teenagers think they’re immortal 😂

[@k.s.k.7721]

I used to visit the tar pits as a child - it had a simple fence around it back in the 50's and 60's. The museum used to sell sabor tooth cat fangs for $5 apiece. Things have changed a lot since then, but it's a great spot to visit.

[@PNurmi]

What I find more interesting is she is the ONLY human remains found after all of the excavations over all of the years the LA Brae tar pits have been studied. That's what I wonder about.

[@dartmart9263]

Spot on! If reburial at the site was “a practice”, where are all those thousands of skeletons that should be there. Just like with the evidence of cannibalism in Chaco Canyon, if the proof points to something distasteful or delicate, change the proof or the conclusions to fit the new and more PC narrative. :)

[@jonhall2274]

Yes... That is exactly what the video title says.

[@brianmccarthy5557]

The only ANCIENT remains. The murder victims dumped there in modern times don't count. This is LA.

[@jonhall2274]

@@brianmccarthy5557 🤦🏼‍♂️🙄 No, literally the ONLY remains found, is the ancient woman, do not spread misinformation to fit your delusional & distorted view points. In the future, atleast use SOME evidence to back up your claims, although you have zero evidence for this specific claim.🤦🏼‍♂️😂🤣

[@Bunny-ns5ni]

I'm left speechless and saddened by her death, but also mystified by her. She saw things we could only dream of, and there's so much about her we'll never know. The most shocking thing is that there's a person entombed in the tar pits at all, which I never knew or expected.

[@burnsmybritches5857]

Saw things as in..? Definitely the other way around. We see things in seconds that she could have never of comprehended. Running water and refrigeration would of exploded her mind let alone the most mundane of technology. If you want to see what she of seen then just step outside into nature away from your screen for 5 minutes. It's real out there, not a dream...

[@Bunny-ns5ni]

@@burnsmybritches5857 thank you for single handedly not understanding the point of my comment.

[@feedtherich11]

Indeed but we see things she never dreamt of.

[@agentbarton8972]

Please, please, please do more of these! Personally I don't listen to podcasts because I can't really focus on audio-only content, so having the video and captions was really helpful for me. So I for one would love more story time with the Eons crew on this channel!

[@tmanook]

It is ironic that I can't focus on it because of the caption I can't turn off. People are different... Anyway, if it helps some people, cool. I guess I can always just minimize the browser while listening.

[@DrBunnyMedicinal]

YES! Part of my being neurodiverse is that I have to put a lot more effort in to decode speech, so podcasts really don't work well for me. But the captions included here made a huge difference, and I really enjoyed this episode.

[@semaj_5022]

@@BlondieHappyGuy It's funny how the thing that turns one person off is what someone else loves. I really enjoyed the blurred out background. I feel like it helped me focus on the captions while also zoning out and listening to the narration. But since they're not so blurry as to be indecipherable, the background still helped provide a sort of atmospheric context that I really enjoyed. I think it would be great if they keep their regular upload schedule, but throw in one or two of these in between the normal videos for those of us who like it.

[@mindyalderman8865]

probably domestic abuse.

[@semaj_5022]

@@mindyalderman8865 what?? What does that have to do with anything

[@Im-Not-a-Dog]

I was actually expecting it to be some drunken prospector from the 1800's that fell in.

[@ルカ写真撮影]

*First human entered tar pit and never came back* Other humans : noted

[@thomaszaccone3960]

The entire story is important. Sad story. Hope she was buried there and didn't die trapped in that tar. Horrible way for human or animals to go.

[@cinnababy6331]

My running thought is she was either put there after death to protect her from predators (though predators did get stuck there, it’s reasonable to assume even they knew the pits were dangerous), or she got stuck and her comrades mercy-killed her so she’d die quickly.

[@apophisxo4480]

@@cinnababy6331 Or more likely someone killed her and dropped her into the pit. We're still doing this to each other today. We were never a crazy species. She had a modern brain and was just as smart as we are today! She would never have been messing around in that area, maybe if it were a more risk taking male it would be a bit more plausible.

[@goomba8170]

@@apophisxo4480 People die in stupid ways all the time. Even if she knew that the tar pits were dangerous, it’s still entirely possible that she somehow ended up in them accidentally.

[@apophisxo4480]

@@goomba8170 That's true, we have no idea, and we're just speculating. Occam's razor, tells us that we should choose the least complicated line of reasoning. Seeing that this didn't happen to humans repeatedly living in that area, you can conclude that they were aware of the dangers and knew to avoid it. Adult women her age, probably with children don't usually take these kinds of risks (maybe today they would). She could have made a tragic mistake, but considering our history, it doesn't take a leap of faith to conclude she was killed. Maybe she was dragged there by a sabre toothed tiger...Who knows? But you'd think it would be possible to distinguish a blow to the head versus natural scarring from movements in the pits after death? An axe to the head should leave a distinctive mark....

[@thomaszaccone3960]

@@apophisxo4480 ? If anyone was there, I can't imagine them not being able to get her out. How deep were these pools anyway. I would have gotten her out if i was there SOMEHOW.

[@Amy_the_Lizard]

My dad used to live near the La Brea tar pits. For some he decided to play in a very small tar pit he found (this was in the 60s, so I don't know if they had as many fenced off back then) and his older brother had to go buy a rope at the hardware store to fish him out..

[@huskergator9479]

Amy - funny story that makes you realize how easily a human could end up inside one.

[@jannahmiers7056]

Loving this. Blake, you have a wonderful voice for this sort of thing. Not to mention the subject matter. It’s both engaging and curiosity-inspiring.. essentially what most of us knowledge-hungry beings crave anyway! For all of us who remain KZbin bound, for whatever reason, please post more of these here. Much love, from so many of us.

[@aureaphilos]

Yes Blake, you have a great voice for a narrative format, especially at this more relaxed pace and energy level. Less hectic than regular Eons, yet less sedative than Microcosm. Please do more!

[@almitrahopkins1873]

I went to the tar pits when I was living in California in the late ‘70s. It’s a fascinating place. To know that this mystery was being investigated at the time just makes it so much more unique to me personally. To see the row after row of skulls on display doesn’t do justice to the countless thousands of fragments that are unsuitable for display. To think that each one is just the head of an animal the size of a horse or larger is truly awe-inspiring.

[@heysketchadoodleart4973]

I love the POV approach of this episode, it was not only educational but very calming to imagine all of the scenes.

[@albatross4920]

There's something very somber about this episode, but I am so happy the La Brea Woman is getting publicity

[@MrJeffcoley1]

My grandfather took us to the La Brea Tarpits many times in the 1970's and early 1980's. I remember the woman, she was on display with a mirror arrangement so alternately you see her as a skeleton and then in the flesh as she looked while alive. There were similar displays for other animals. I guess they removed it?

[@brigidtheirish]

If they did, that's rather sad. Sounds like a neat exhibit.

[@paulashla]

That was my favorite exhibit when I was a kid. I couldn't find it last time I visited. Could be removed. Hopefully it's temporary

[@benjamindover4337]

Rumor has it.. she escaped.

[@werelemur1138]

So I wasn't getting confused with a different museum when I remembered that display.

[@audiooddities9982]

Yeah she was on display last time I was there, 1992

[@NintendoTransformer]

I know it’s pointless to mourn ancient human remains, but I can’t really help but think about the paralyzing horror of dying in a tar pit, and feeling genuine empathy for the woman who ended up in there. I feel the same way about Otzi the Iceman. These people likely had families, precious childhood memories, trauma, interests, hobbies, maybe even pets. They were just as human as any of us are.

[@erfquake1]

If you find yourself on the southwest corner of Wilshire & Curson on a very rainy day, (opposite side of the street to the main gate) you can see the street pavement fizzing like alka-seltzer from tar pit gases escaping from underground. It's startling to witness.

[@johnweigel9761]

I'm still attracted to the murder hypothesis. It would explain why La Brea Woman has been the only human found in the tarpits, so far.

[@Lillian2167]

Amazing episode, I could listen to Blake talk about ancient mysteries all day honestly! Thankies for subtitles as well, it makes it a lot easier to follow for those who are hard of hearing. :3

[@emiliiiaaaaaa]

I WAS JUST THERE!!! this channel inspired me to visit the pits and it was so cool

[@IvorMektin1701]

The wall of wolf skulls is impressive!

[@emperorarasaka]

So it was you who was found?

[@jaegerolfa]

I like the story telling style of this one so far. One minute in and I hope the whole episode is told like this. Would like more like this!

[@briangarrow448]

Are you going to do a podcast on the oldest evidence of human habitation in the Americas? Those numbers are moving further back in time.

[@VanaeCavae]

They are afraid of something for sure.

[@That.Lady.withtheYarn]

@@VanaeCavae our they're just being cautious abs ting not to jump to conclusion with out enough evidence to fully back it up ( to the best of our current technology)

[@dartmart9263]

@@VanaeCavae Afraid? Such as?

[@Terminator484]

@@VanaeCavae A scientist is never afraid of whatever truths the evidence leads them to, comfortable or not. The pursuit of knowledge and truth is the driving force behind the entire scientific community, and why data is shared. Peer review invites fresh perspectives, eliminates bias, and fosters hypothesis, ultimately finding the truth.

[@The_Savage_Wombat]

There is an effort to conceal all the violence between groups of humans and how many genocides took place in the New World. It's likely the loved ones of these remains would very much want researchers to find out the truth and how they were wiped out.

[@SolarScion]

I like this tone a lot more than the typical Eons episode. Somber, imagination-driven discovery, and no forced puns.

[@trashpanda2200]

I agree that this is great but I personally appreciate (most of) the puns

[@eRic-hr3yl]

What do you have against forced puns?? :(

[@tomasbeltran04050]

the puns are great and have always been

[@hollyodii5969]

Eons is full of glorious forced puns. They close out many episodes with a joke/pun. Usually delightfully awful!❤️🦕

[@johnveazey6534]

This was cool. Thank you for this captioned podcast episode! As a Deaf person, I appreciated it very much.

[@didosauce6008]

The phrase “an ancient human” sent chills down my spine for some reason

[@royalfelineandtracygrant]

Glad it ain’t only me

[@RainAngel111]

Her diet suggests she didn't live near the tar pits. Perhaps she was travelling from elsewhere and got caught. I'm curious to know about the pathologists report on her body, because they can usually tell if a fracture was made post-humously. The idea that she was reburied in the tar pits seems silly to me. If the natives were burying bodies in the tar pit wouldn't we have found more of them? The murder idea at least explains why her body ended up in the tar pit, but my impression was that things sank slowly, so it might not have been a foolproof way to hide a body. Frankly the most likely scenario in my mind is that she was a foreigner, or traveler. Unfamiliar with the pits she didn't know to avoid them. maybe she was drawn in the way so many other animals were. She saw an opportunity for food or maybe she even tried to free a trapped animal.

[@dartmart9263]

Spot on. She must have been an outsider from much further inland, and completely unfamiliar with tar and what it can do. If she wasn’t a local I seriously doubt the natives there would have given her a “reburial service”. No, she was either murdered or she accidentally fell in.

[@everettduncan7543]

She may have been disoriented enough (perhaps sepsis?) to not notice it

[@TallulahBelle3276]

It’s a somewhat credible speculation with the methods of finding out as much as we can about her but there could be a myriad of circumstances that she ended up in the tar pits. It’s intriguing to imagine. Great content! Thank you.

[@CrimHawkins]

This video has such a devastatingly effective introduction

[@MarcosElMalo2]

La brea is Spanish for “the tar”. The name of the site, fully translated to English, is the The Tar Tar Pits.

[@dartmart9263]

I keep telling my wife the exact same thing!

[@The_Savage_Wombat]

They should have added the word for tar in a few other languages first because the word Tartar is already taken.

[@dartmart9263]

@@The_Savage_Wombat Lol

[@tomithebunny]

Omg I was just in LA a little bit ago to go to the tar pits!! The museum was sooooo cool. Getting to see scientists actually washing matrix off recently extracted samples was super super cool, and they had a super neat little presentation board about how they tested different ways to clean fossils, and how they arrived at their current methodology and the chemical they use. The tar pits are just.......amazing. Soooo many fossils, SO many animals....so much data about the world back then from soooo many sources!!!

[@sealyoness]

I wanted see them, too, one of the first times I was in CA. It was in the 90s, but either they'd closed it for a bit or I missed the signs. Darn.

[@tomithebunny]

@@sealyoness ngl even in this day and age finding the actual entrance to the correct parking lot was a bit of an adventure..... but I also wouldn't be surprised if it is closed now and then for reasons both related to tar spills AND the scientists doing larger excavations n such. 🤔 but I'm just guessing 😅

[@hi_im_angelatrainor]

Her story is so interesting. I enjoy learning about it.

[@jasontusmc]

Every time I find an arrowhead in the creek here on my property I always go through that list of questions. What did they like, what was their world, what did they value in life above anything else?

[@susanjane4784]

Not into podcasts until now. This was another well-done Eons production.

[@DanGamingFan2406]

I can't believe I never thought about this possibility.

[@lis7742]

This was a very deeply sad, interesting, thought provoking podcast. I got moved to tears.

[@eBil1]

Out of curiosity, could La Brea Woman's lack of marine protein in her diet be because she was allergic to seafood?

[@Hawk7886]

Maybe she just really hated seafood and selectively avoided it

[@mysticmoon1262]

@@Hawk7886 I honestly find both of these ideas interesting. I noticed that it's not often considered that a person in the past had a food allergy or a food preference even though they are fairly well know things in the current time. The idea that she wouldn't or couldn't eat certain foods just makes her feel more like a being who actually lived.

[@wooahaehorang6725]

exactly, i was wondering the same thing

[@SolarScion]

Another question I would ask is: what actually _is_ a seafood allergy. I don't eat fish, but I'm not allergic, so I've never looked into it; but I am allergic to nuts, and that has only been known for about as long as I've been alive, and might be entirely attributable to pesticides. We're still in the same phase of ignorance about allergies as we were in the late 1800s about global warming, or the 1940s regarding smoking. Like, is it all up to industrial chemicals, heavy metals, or microplastics? We're still not completely adapted to dairy, and that's the 40% of humanity that has any tolerance. But that reason is obvious and fairly well understand. Allergies and "sensitivities" are another question. Edit to add: "industrial" pollution doesn't just mean that since the industrial revolution. Humans have used industrial processes for thousands of years. I also wonder what kind of pollution might have been introduced by the tar pits themselves.

[@farkasmactavish]

I think that back in the day, an allergy to food was indistinguishable from sudden death. They didn't exactly have epi pens.

[@achiever8008]

It’s funny how only one human got stuck in there.

[@johnkesich8696]

I guess we were smarter back then.

[@NeoLithiumCat]

Are they still excavating? If so, could be more

[@sonjastarr1364]

Maybe other humans would help if someone fell in.

[@deighaton00]

Listened to this on the podcast when it came out. It's such an interesting tale.

[@lucalopez9604]

thank you for uploading it to youtube! all the "wherever you get your podcast" are usually apps and my phone has barely enough space for the android OS, much less for an app, so I'm very happy I can finally listen to this.

[@minijimi]

Love this. Great narration. No stock footage. No cut scenes. Just text and my imagination.

[@Max-js1mx]

This makes me happy. To think in thousands of years someone could be still trying to figure out a life of someone thousands of years ago

[@LLNTMY]

I love the subtitles. Thank you so much for providing them!

[@dartmart9263]

Yes, much appreciated!

[@DragonOfTheSkies]

This is my first time hearing about this. I’m in my 30’s and not once has anyone ever taught me about a person being found in those tar pits. I learned something today! 👍

[@Cathypix]

0:03 Yeah no thanks.

[@shinji1264]

People back then were geniuses, amazing how the researchers estimated her being 11,000 years old only for actual science to determine she was 10,300.

[@marwingillett1452]

As a Los Angeles native and growing up like 15mins from the LaBrea tar pits, I don’t think I’ve ever been to actually check it out. At least I don’t remember. Gotta get it.

[@kismet8010]

The calm music and narration is such a vibe

[@lavender__luna]

Absolutely loving this podcast with captions!!!! Thank you, PBS Eons!!!! 💯👍🏻💜

[@baobaozidoesstuff]

Thanks for putting the podcast on KZbin! I don’t “wherever you get your podcasts” so it was nice to get some of that content in a medium I do use.

[@Pinkstinkie]

When he said "And there's a familiar smell in the air" who else thought 'warm smell of colitas'? Yeah, I'm that old.

[@Contessa6363]

I went to the La Brea Tar Pits back in 1972 when I was in the third grade. It is a fascinating place 😮😮😮

[@Grand_History]

“Picture yourself in downtown LA” yeah I’d rather not

[@KalowJager]

Thank you for adding text to the video! It really helps my ADHD brain to focus on what's being said

[@MsJozeman]

Masterfully written. The mental imagery gained through the absence of video imagery- very effective and great!

[@theobserver9131]

Maybe she was the first paleontologist to study the La brea tar pits when she fell in and got stuck.

[@misanthropichumanist4782]

Great! Please set up all of the podcast episodes on KZbin! I'm interested in the podcast, but not in adding additional apps to my phone.

[@Howboutno1]

I listened to your podcast episode on this! And now La Brea woman has to be my favorite archeological discovery... *and i want to draw what I think she looked like*

[@michellevdheever7619]

I enjoy these podcasts. Thanks for sharing them on KZbin!

[@billybradford]

I really like this new format. THanks!

[@MCEvans66]

Answering questions about her death can and do answer questions about how she lived. As for the lack of seafood in her long term diet yet being so close to the oceans was a visitor from outside the area and wondered off from her group and not knowing the area got trapped, so with that scenario accidental death is back on the table.

[@haikalmiftah2529]

Make sense if we consider she was part of nomaden group at the time. Agriculture wasn't a thing in a New World until next few thousand years so no permanent settlement. The more sad thing is: probably when she dying there, all of her group knew it but couldn't rescue her since it's too dangerous.

[@The_Savage_Wombat]

Could have been a slave that wasn't privileged enough to eat seafood.

[@KurtQuad]

I really enjoyed this format!

[@Iberian247]

So basically, life hasn’t changed much since prehistoric times in southern California: People living outside and being “unalived”.

[@ryomahoffman6803]

I volunteered at La Brea for about a month a few years ago, I remember vaguely hearing about this story. It’s really cool to hear it be talked about after all this time, especially by a person that I admire a lot lol.

[@scheimong]

Beautifully narrated. I enjoyed every second of that.

[@dysonsquared]

This segment is BRILLIANT! Satisfying on multiple levels. Full stop!

[@davidm5707]

Great podcast! As you were speaking, I wondered, since you said the pit churns its contents, how you can know if anything was buried with her, let alone the dog. Maybe it was just an accident, like the bison. I'm surprised there aren't more human remains, unless they're still somewhere down there.

[@OtDawn]

They date the bones, the dog was much older than the girl.

[@Roland14d]

This episode format is the ultimate cure for insomnia!

[@erictaylor5462]

But even if her skull fracture was the cause of death, why assume murder? There are lots of ways to fracture a skull including in accidents. She could have fallen or been attacked by an animal. Bison are more than capable of fracturing your skull, and that is just one animal that could do it.

[@WanderTheNomad]

Murder is very easily sensationalized

[@fleetskipper1810]

Exactly. Her world wasn’t exactly safe.

[@jumanji6376]

YES YES YES YES YES YES THANKYOU FOR PUTTING THESE ON KZbin!

[@safetyshotgun308]

This was beautifully written and read.

[@SacrosanctStories]

As always, I appreciate the care put in to recognize indigenous people’s. Nia’wen/Thank you!

[@DISTurbedwaffle918]

Honestly, if you can find out how she died, you can find out how she lived. That's kinda the point.

[@Konkata]

This was wonderful. The La Brea Woman has fascinated me the moment I heard of her. I visited the tar pits a few years ago and I want to go back so badly.

[@ianmacfarlane1241]

That was very moving. An excellent podcast.

[@尼安德鲁-n6j]

I just visited the museum today, happy to watch this video

[@Scarlet_Soul]

Anyone else reminded of Bender's quest for oil?

[@melissarainchild]

The first minutes...sublime storytelling...what a great way to wake up in the morning 😊

[@davidg5898]

Aside from the reasons mentioned in this podcast, that murder theory can be dismissed because it smacks of presentism. First off, it takes weeks (sometimes months) for something animal/human sized to sink into the tar pits. Death came from dehydration/starvation or exposure from being stuck and unable to escape, not from being submerged and drowning in tar. Nobody of that era and location -- meaning people even slightly familiar with the tar pits -- would ever consider it a place to dispose of evidence. Second, why would a neolithic person dispose of the murder weapon? There were no forensics to be able to link a specific, individual weapon to a murder. Washing off any visible blood and guts would be enough. Your tool suddenly going missing would be a much bigger sign to the tribe that something happened. Stone and wood tools were looked after carefully because they are time consuming and labor intensive to make. Only someone with their mind stuck in modern preconceptions would consider those as legitimate possibilities.

[@dartmart9263]

LOL. Are you suggesting that murder is a new concept?

[@Michael-bn1oi]

It cannot be dismissed. That's not how it works. You can make an excellent case for it not being the case, but it's very foolish to dismiss ideas because you don't want them to be true. Also, murder is not a modern invention. What are you even on about...

[@dartmart9263]

@@Michael-bn1oi Agreed. But I guess sarcasm doesn’t transmit very well via posts.

[@davidg5898]

@@Michael-bn1oi What's foolish is say it's foolish to dismiss any idea. Science works by dismissing ideas that don't fit what is known. If the "evidence" for an idea is heavily based on presentism -- thoughts that no one of the era in question would ever act according to -- then yes, that idea SHOULD be dismissed. A different murder scenario that's more realistic to the time, however, is worth exploring.

[@carsonianthegreat4672]

Disposal of the murder weapon was common practice long before forensics was ever invented. The only one stuck in presentism is you

[@nickwilliams2745]

I honestly didn’t even notice this was in podcast format for an embarrassingly long time

[@lnlnd]

I agree that it’s much more interesting to learn how she lived but the way she died… oh my goodness! My writer’s brain has already imagined a sacrificial ritual, the one and only (because she’s the only one who died that way) but very important to others, maybe the weather was too cold back then. Regardless of that same tar pit, this discovery spools up the imagination. Sometimes, you don’t need the right answer to the mystery, you need the mystery itself.

[@loquat44-40]

I am thinking of the bog bodies found in european peat bogs where either sacrifices or criminals were cast into the bogs.

[@dartmart9263]

@@loquat44-40 My thought exactly. Ritualistic murder or one of passion.

[@Noukz37]

Whoever your sound engineer is, he deserves a raise! Edit: I see it's Callie Dishman! 😀

[@unclesquirrel6951]

Having dire wolves is better than having diarrhoea wolves I always say

[@suhrim6666]

This was very good. I am especially thankful there was no pun at the end.

[@ianmacfarlane1241]

The original LA Woman.

[@jakobraahauge7299]

That was beautiful! Thank you so much - I'm really grateful! I know that Hank Green is really into peppy, poppy TikTok - but once he did beautiful, enchanting, and thought provoking pieces like this! Should he catch s fever making it impossible to do his snorty Chinese shorts - please remind him that he he can make amazing pieces like this again - by putting thoyght into it and taking his time to do beautiful voice work - like this! But thank you guys - this was an absolute pleasure! Beautifully done! Thanks again! ❤️🤗

[@JonnyMaxximum]

I was there just last weekend! I didn't put much thought into why there were no mentions of human remains being found. I just thought humans were smart enough to not go near it or they knew how to get themselves out of it.

[@dartmart9263]

That’s why the murder conclusion makes perfect sense to me. Totally plausible.

[@JonnyMaxximum]

@@dartmart9263 that or ritualistic burial

[@dartmart9263]

@@JonnyMaxximum agreed!

[@Alusnovalotus]

You have a very smooth voice for this kinda thing. Kudos. Music was very emotional as well.