A mystery dating back nearly a century about a skull believed to belong to Cleopatra’s murdered half-sister has been solved using modern DNA analysis and radiocarbon dating. The skull, discovered in 1929 by archaeologists excavating a tomb in Ephesos, Turkey, was thought to belong to Arsinoe IV, Cleopatra’s half-sister, who was reportedly killed in 41 BCE at the behest of the Egyptian queen’s lover, Mark Antony.

The skull was discovered in 1929 during excavations of an “Octagon” tomb in Ephesos, Turkey, by archaeologist Josef Keil and his team. Initially, Keil hypothesised that the remains were of “a very distinguished person,” likely a 20-year-old woman, leading to speculations that it could be of Cleopatra’s sister. But, new research conducted by specialists at the University of Vienna, led by anthropologist Gerhard Weber, has debunked the longstanding theory. Using advanced scans, DNA analysis, and radiocarbon dating, the team determined that the skull actually belonged to a boy aged between 11 and 14.

“It was long speculated that it could be the remains of Arsinoe IV, the sister of the famous Cleopatra,” Science News reported. “However, the latest anthropological analyses show that the remains are those of a boy between the ages of 11 and 14 who suffered from pathological developmental disorder.”

Radiocarbon dating indicates the skull dates between 36 BCE and 205 BCE. Genetic analysis suggests the boy was likely a native of Italy or Sardinia, dismissing any connection to Arsinoe IV. After its discovery, Mr Keil transported the remains to Germany and later to Austria, where they have remained ever since.

In 2022, archaeologists found a long tunnel – 1,305 metres long and 13 metres deep – under the Taposiris Magna temple ruins on Egypt’s coast. Kathleen Martinez from the University of Santo Domingo, who has been searching for Cleopatra VII’s tomb since 2004, said the tunnel might lead to it. While the chance is “one per cent,” she called it a possible “discovery of the century.”

Over 150 years ago, surgeon and politician William Crowther allegedly stole the skull of an Aboriginal leader, William Lanne, from a Hobart morgue. Today, the crime continues to spark debate in the city as the statue of Crowther, once towering over a central square, lies in ruins – its feet severed by vandals.

In the heart of Hobart, Tasmania, the bronze monument once stood over the oak-lined square. The statue, earlier, was cut down at the ankles, leaving only severed bronze feet behind, the BBC reported. The vandalism, along with the words “what goes around” spray-painted on its base, symbolised a larger struggle – a debate about colonialism, racism and the dark history of Tasmania’s treatment of its Aboriginal people. 

William Crowther’s notoriety stems from an event that took place over 150 years ago, when he allegedly broke into a morgue and mutilated the body of William Lanne, an Aboriginal leader. Lanne’s skull was stolen and later sent overseas as a trophy, which showed the colonisers’ view of Tasmanian Aboriginal people as extinct. Today, Lanne’s descendants and many in the Aboriginal community see Crowther as a symbol of colonial brutality and erasure.

William Lanne, often referred to as the last “full-blooded” Aboriginal Tasmanian, is a symbol of the tragic history of Tasmania’s Indigenous population and their mistreatment by British colonisers. Born around 1835, Lanne was part of the Palawa people, the original inhabitants of Tasmania (formerly Van Diemen’s Land). Lanne was forcibly removed from his homeland and lived through two notorious camps established to confine Aboriginal people. He is remembered as a shipmate and advocate for his people.

William Lanne, once thought to be the last Aboriginal man in Tasmania, became the subject of scientific exploitation. He died at the age of 34 in 1869 due to disease. Before his burial in 1869, parts of his body, including his hands, feet and skull, were stolen by physicians eager to study the so-called “missing link” between humans and Neanderthals. Though Crowther denied involvement, the scandal rocked the city at the time, leading to his suspension from the hospital.

For Aboriginal activists, like Nala Mansell, the statue of William Crowther represented not just a man but the false narrative that Aboriginal Tasmanians were wiped out. In contrast, some Hobart residents, including Crowther’s descendants, see him as a significant historical figure whose contributions should not be overshadowed by past misdeeds.